Spencer Breaks School Record to Lead Louisville Track and Field at Texas Roadhouse Border Battle

Ahlivia Spencer broke the Cardinals’ four-year-old school record in the 800m.

 

April 14, 2012

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sophomore Ahlivia Spencer broke the school record in the 800m to lead the University of Louisville track and field teams on Saturday evening at the Texas Roadhouse Border Battle at Cardinal Park Track and Soccer Stadium.

 

Spencer rolled to a time of 2:08.75 in the 800m, breaking the four-year-old school record of 2:09.30 that was set by Tarah McKay in 2008. The Indianapolis, Ind., native continues to develop as one of the school’s top middle-distance athletes. During this year’s indoor season, she set the 600m record that went untouched for six years, and in 2011, she etched her named in the school’s annals as the 500m record holder.

 

“I thought Ahlivia had a terrific race today with a two-second personal best,” head coach Ron Mann said. “She continues to show remarkable development as a middle-distance runner, and it’s exciting to watch her progress.”

 

Along with Spencer’s mark, the Cardinals had a near-record setting day. As a team, Louisville recorded 12 victories on the day, with nine coming from field events.

 

Calvin Arsenault (110m hurdles), Jordon Frazier (400m hurdles) and Emmanuel Matadi (100m) each secured victories on the track for the Cardinals. Frazier repeated as the Border Battle champion in his respective event, clocking a season-best time of 52.46. Matadi arguably had the best day on the men’s side, winning the 100m with a time of 10.61 (wind: 2.1) and placing fourth in the 200m with a mark of 21.48. The 200m mark is currently the second-fastest time in school history in the event.

 

One of the top performances from the throws field came from redshirt senior Chinwe Okoro, who registered victories in the discus and the shot put. Her discus mark of 56.24m/184-6, which was a personal best, ranks third nationally and ranks as the fifth-best throw in school history. Okoro’s winning shot put toss of 16.85m/55-3.50 ranks in the top 10, and is not only another personal best, but it is the third-best throw in school history.

 

“Overall, I felt we had a great effort all around,” Mann added. “Chinwe Okoro gave us an excellent performance in the discus, and Charachesicia’s (Lockhart) wins are credit to her determination and work ethic.”

 

Louisville also received wins in the throwing events from Jenna Wargo (javelin), Amashi Kendall (hammer throw) and Sam Bombaugh (hammer throw). Wargo’s collegiate-best throw in the javelin, which came last weekend, ranks fifth nationally, while Bombaugh stands in the top 40 in the hammer throw.

 

In the jumps events, the Cardinals secured four victories – the men’s and women’s long jump and triple jump competitions. Charachesicia Lockhart, who took scored both wins on the women’s side, posted a season-best mark of 6.21m/20-4.50 in the long jump that ranks in the top-20 nationally and is the fourth-best mark in school history. Wesley Smith captured the long jump crown, and Seon Powell leapt to a first-place finish in the triple jump.

 

Brad Vivace, Michael Edwards, Madie Davidson and Hadassah Bruno also had impressive finishes in their respective events. Vivace took second in the shot put and third in the hammer throw, while Edwards cleared 2.15m/7-0.50 for a second-place showing. Davidson cruised to a second-place finish in the 5,000m and Bruno took runner-up in the 400m.

 

Notably, the Cardinals hit 41 BIG EAST qualifying marks.

 

Louisville returns to action on Friday, April 20, for the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational. Events at the throws field commence at 10:30 a.m. Field events inside the track start at 1 p.m., and running events are slated to begin at 3 p.m.

 

For all of the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to UofLsports.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack.

 

TEXAS ROADHOUSE BORDER BATTLE (LOUISVILLE, KY. - CARDINAL PARK TRACK & SOCCER STADIUM)

 

Women’s Javelin

1. Jenna Wargo – 43.67m/143-3 #

4. Patrice Gates – 33.06m/108-5

 

Men’s Hammer Throw

1. Sam Bombaugh – 60.07m/197-1 #

3. Brad Vivace – 52.78m/173-2 #

 

Women’s Hammer Throw

1. Amashi Kendall – 54.21m/177-10 #

3. Patrice Gates – 53.16m/174-5 #

9. Hannah Baker – 46.19m/151-6 #

 

Men’s Shot Put

2. Brad Vivace – 16.72m/54-10.25 #

3. Sam Bombaugh – 16.34m/53-7.50 #

Isaac Bowling – FOUL

 

Women’s Discus

1. Chinwe Okoro – 56.24m/184-6 #

2. Khadija Abdullah – 51.87m/170-2 #

3. Amashi Kendall – 48.07m/157-8 #

7. Hannah Baker – 43.20m/141-8 #

 

Women’s Long Jump

1. Charachesicia Lockhart – 6.21m/20-4.50 (wind: 0.7) #

6. Kim Cardeiro – 5.50m/18-0.50 (wind: 0.9)

 

Men’s Discus

6. Isaac Bowling – 47.61m/156-2 #

7. Andrew Nelson – 44.43m/145-9

8. Sam Bombaugh – 44.42m/145-9

Brad Vivace – FOUL

 

Women’s Shot Put

1. Chinwe Okoro – 16.85m/55-3.50 #

2. Khadija Abdullah – 16.47m/54-0.50 #

4. Amashi Kendall – 15.76m/51-8.50 #

 

Women’s 5,000m

2. Madie Davidson – 17:22.75 #

4. Ariel Briggs – 17:37.92

 

Women’s High Jump

t-2. Michelle Theophille – 1.73m/5-8 #

t-2. Megan Schubert – 1.73m/5-8 #

5. Maggie Gilbertson – 1.73m/5-8 #

 

Men’s Long Jump

1. Wesley Smith – 7.43m/24-4.50 #

4. Seon Powell – 7.02m/23-0.50 #

 

Men’s 4x100m Relay

Louisville ‘A’ (W. Smith, E. Matadi, J. Frazier, M. Hobbs) – 41.45

 

Women’s 1,500m

3. Holly Knight – 4:26.58 #

11. Maria Frigo – 4:48.54

 

Men’s 1,500m

7. Luke Lovelace – 3:53.30 #

9. Evan Hibbs – 3:55.70

12. Ryan Eaton – 4:02.09

 

Men’s Pole Vault

Kevin Jackson – NH

 

Women’s 100m Hurdles

4. Gabrielle Jackson – 14.26 (wind: 1.9) #

 

Women’s Triple Jump

1. Charachesicia Lockhart – 12.64m/41-5.75 #

2. Malina Simmers – 12.03m/39-5.75 #

 

Men’s 110m Hurdles

1. Calvin Arsenault – 14.40 (wind: 2.5)

 

Women’s 400m

2. Hadassah Bruno – 55.89 #

10. Randi Norris – 1:00.77

DeAudrea Horne – DNF

 

Men’s High Jump

2. Michael Edwards – 2.15m/7-0.50 #

t-5. Taylor Caldwell – 1.95m/6-4.75

 

Men’s 400m

3. Marcellus Hobbs – 49.42

 

Women’s 100m

3. Margret Harris – 11.97 (wind: 2.5)

 

Men’s 100m

1. Emmanuel Matadi – 10.61 (wind: 2.1)

5. Raymond Davis – 11.08 (wind: 2.1)

 

Women’s 800m

3. Ahlivia Spencer – 2:08.75 #

12. Michelle Molodynia – 2:15.95

14. Jordan Diaz – 2:20.04

15. Maria Frigo – 2:22.39

 

Men’s 800m

7. Andrew Stewart – 1:53.03

18. Evan Hibbs – 1:57.77

 

Women’s 400m Hurdles

2. Gabrielle Jackson – 1:00.78 #

 

Men’s 400m Hurdles

1. Jordon Frazier – 52.46 #

4. Calvin Arsenault – 55.43 #

 

Men’s Triple Jump

1. Seon Powell – 15.40m/50-6.25 #

 

Women’s 200m

6. Hadassah Bruno – 24.88 (wind: 1.9) #

11. D’minia Stokes – 26.43 (wind: 1.3)

 

Men’s 200m

4. Emmanuel Matadi – 21.48 (wind: 1.4) #

7. Marcellus Hobbs – 22.56 (wind: 1.4)

 

Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase

2. Megan Klein – 11:04.43 #

 

Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase

3. Gordon Dooley – 9:09.63 #

 

Women’s 4x400m Relay

3. Louisville ‘A’ (M. Harris, A. Spencer, M. Theophille, G. Jackson) – 3:46.32

6. Louisville ‘B’ (H. Bruno, D. Stokes, R. Norris, M. Molodynia) – 3:54.45

 

-ig-

 

For More Information, Contact:

Ira Green, (502) 852-4857

Ira.Green@louisville.edu