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McMurry University Athletics

Cunningham & Rollins

Men's Track by Kyle Robarts, SID

Crousen bringing entourage to Ohio for national outdoor meet

Kevin Cunningham (left) and Holly Rollins (right) are among 15 McMurry athletes headed to the national outdoor meet Thursday through Saturday in Barea, Ohio
Complete List of Entrants: Men | Women

ABILENE, Texas - Sunday night the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee will send 13 men and two women from McMurry University to compete in the 2010 Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday through Saturday in Barea, Ohio on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College.

The McMurry men, who won the 2008 outdoor national title, have carried a No. 1 national ranking by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association from the debut poll April 7 to Monday's eighth and final poll of the season. The 2008 team brought the first-ever national championship of any kind to the McMurry athletics program and is poised to push for a second title with 13 participants headed to Ohio this week.

“Even though we have been ranked No. 1 throughout the season, that puts a target on our back,” said head coach Barbara Crousen. “Now, it won't be everyone in our conference after us, but every one in the nation will be aiming for us.”

McMurry's men will compete in nine different events while Holly Rollins and Breana Anderson-Burton will compete for the women in the pole vault and long jump respectively.

Sophomore Gavan Bass, Freshman Josh Zu-Bolton and junior Terry Smith will be busy men competing in three events apiece. Bass will run the 100-meter dash, will compete in the long jump and joins the 4X100-meter relay team. Zu-Bolton will run in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and will run a leg on the 4X100-meter relay team. Smith will compete in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles and joins the 4X400-meter relay team.

Sophomores Kevin Cunningham and Stryker Pena along with freshman Kenneth Turner will each compete in two events apiece. Cunningham will run the 400-meter hurdles and the 4X400-meter relay while Pena will compete in the long and high jump events. Turner will run the 200-meter dash and take a leg in the 4X100-meter relay.

Tevon Odom will join Bass, Turner and Zu-Bolton on the 4X100-meter relay while Kolby Barnhill and Marcus Thompson will fill out the 4X400-meter relay squad along with Cunningham and Smith.

Four men's pole vaulters are headed to the national meet including Stephen Toler, Cory Altenberg, Thomas Dimitri and Brock Steinbock.

“It's amazing to have four quality pole vaulters with an opportunity to make such an impact at the national meet,” Crousen said. “We love those technique events, but they can also give you gray hairs, just look at mine.”

On the women's side, Rollins continues to battle back from knee surgery after her freshman year, which yielded an individual national title in the pole vault. As a freshman, her jump of 12-10.75 took first in Oshkosh, Wisc. Last season, as a sophomore, she placed 12th losing nearly a foot with a jump of 11-10.50. However, she has fought back her junior season and carries a season-best jump of 12-09 heading into nationals.

“[Holly] has had some really good performances after the [ASC] conference meet,” said Crousen. “She is going into nationals with confidence. She's had several setbacks since winning the title as a freshman, but you can't keep a good woman down.”

Anderson-Burton is already a two-time all-American in the outdoor long jump after finishing in the top eight in her freshman and sophomore seasons. Crousen said she has been struggling with an ankle injury all season and is just now beginning to feel healthy. Anderson-Burton heads into nationals with a season's best jump of 18-09.75, which ranks 15th best in the nation.

In order to score points and earn individual all-America status, athletes must place in the top eight in their respective events. On paper, all-season, McMurry's men have been projected to place first based upon seeding. According to raceberyjam.com, through May 20, if one were to take the scores based upon performances during the season, McMurry would score 52 points at the national meet and win the title by eight points over North Central College.

“Championships are not won on paper, we have to go and perform,” said head coach Barbara Crousen. “Every single person is important and everyone has a job to do.”

McMurry's Men's Participants McMurry's Women's Participants
  Name Time/Mark Date of best seed
National seed
100-meter dash (16 entrants)
Gavan Bass 10.63 03/26 8th
Josh Zu-Bolton
 10.64 03/26  10th
200-meter dash (17 entrants)
Kenneth Turner
21.18
04/24 3rd
Josh Zu-Bolton 21.60 04/24 14th
110-meter hurdles (16 entrants)
Terry Smith
14.58 04/10 10th
400-meter hurdles (17 entrants)
Kevin Cunningham 52.50 04/01 5th
Terry Smith
53.01 05/20 10th
4X100-meter relay (15 entrants)
Gavan Bass      
Trevon Odom      
Kenneth Turner      
Josh Zu-Bolton 41.19 05/20 4th
4X400-meter relay (16 entrants)
Kolby Barnhill      
Kevin Cunningham      
Terry Smith      
Marcus Thompson 3:14.57 05/13 8th
Pole Vault (15 entrants)
Stephen Toler 17-00.75 05/20 2nd
Cory Altenberg 16-08.00 04/01 4th
Thomas Dimitri 16-02.75 04/01
9th
Brock Steinbock 16-00.00 05/20 13th
Long Jump (15 entrants)

Stryker Pena
24-11 03/26 1st

Gavan Bass
24-5 03/26 2nd
  Name Time/Mark Date of best seed
National seed
Long Jump (19 entrants)

Breana Anderson-Burton
18-09.75 05/13 15th
Pole Vault (20 entrants)

Holly Rollins
12-09.00
05/08 5th
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