CHARLESTON, S.C – The Northern Kentucky University men's and women's track and field teams opened the outdoor season this weekend at the Charleston Southern Invitational. The two-day meet concluded on Saturday, with the Norse finding the podium in several events.  
 
Men's top performers

• Tristian Tapia won the 800m clocking a time of 1:57.47. William Doering took 16^th with a time of 2:04.03.
• Andrew Schille and Alec Sandusky finished in order first and second in the 1,500m, Schille got the win in a time of 3:56.04 with Sandusky taking second at 3:59.89. Tapia took fourth, pulling double-duty, clocking a time of 4:01.14.
• Schille also got the win in the 3,000m crossing the finish line in a time of 8:39.33. Michael Mangus took third at 8:54.24.
• Mangus also took third in the 5,000m in a time of 15:08.75. Ryan Burrows followed in sixth place clocking in at 15:14.86.
• In the steeplechase, John Michael Griffith took third completing the event in a time of 9:33.47.
• Andrew Hyden took sixth in the triple jump leaping 12.55m (41'2.09")

 
Women's top performers

• Samantha Shaw and BriAuna Keys posted top-10 finishes in the 400m. Shaw took third at 57.03, while Keys took sixth at 57.98.
• Olivia Goessling was the top-Norse in the 800m. Goessling took 10^th in a time of 2:26.86.
• Jennah Flairlty and Hannah Tobler found the top-10 n the 1,500m. Flairty took third with a time of 4:43.74, with Tobler taking sixth in a time of 4:48.12.
• Tobler and Flairty found the top-five in the 3,000m, with Tobler taking second at 10:23.70 and Flairty finishing fourth at 10:29.50.
• Kelly Burrows and Natalie Lienhart finished in order fourth and fifth, with Burrows crossing the finish line at 18:50.29 and Lienhart finishing at 18:59.78.
• In the 100m hurdles, Peyton Lee took ninth with a time of 15.38.
• In the steeplechase, Kimmy Wolfe took fifth with a time of 12:17.94.
• DeMondrea Starnes got the win in the triple jump with a leap of 11.79m (38'8.17"). In the long jump, Starnes took third landing at 5.44m (17'10.17")
• In the discus, Bailey Leininger took seventh with a throw of 41.12m (134'10.89"). Erin Sherrer took ninth with a mark of 39.55m (129'9.08")
• Sherrer took 10^th in the hammer with a throw of 42.92m (140'9.76")

 
Up next

• Following the Charleston Southern Invitational, the Norse athletes will compete at two different meets. One group will travel to the Raleigh Relays (March 24-25) hosted by North Carolina State, with another travelling to the University of Tennessee Rust Buster (March 25).