Indoor Track: Moody breaks leg on day one

Indoor Track: Moody breaks leg on day one

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The University of Louisiana track team grabbed three places on both the men’s and women’s sides, but was dealt a major blow Saturday on the first day of action in the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Sophomore hurdler/high jumper Luke Moody of Rayne suffered a fall during the men’s high jump competition, one which resulted in a broken leg. Moody underwent successful surgery Saturday evening at a Murfreesboro hospital.

Moody was expected to be one of UL’s best bets for league honors, ranking third in the league in the 55-meter hurdles entering the two-day conference meet being hosted by Middle Tennessee at the Murphy Center.

The Cajun men stand ninth of nine teams after Saturday’s first four completed events with three points, while the women’s squad is ninth of 10 teams with eight points after Saturday’s six women’s events.
Much of Saturday’s schedule was made up of running event preliminaries, with finals in five field events and 16 running events set for today’s final session.

Host Middle Tennessee leads the men’s race after four events with 38 points, with Arkansas State, North Texas and South Alabama all close behind with 29, 27 and 25 respectively.

Favored North Texas has a narrow 47-45 1/2 lead over South Alabama in the women’s meet heading into today.

Casey Zeller and Kelli Hebert tied for the top UL finish on Saturday, with Hebert finishing sixth in the women’s pole vault at 10-6 and Zeller finishing sixth in the grueling five-event pentathlon with 3,111 points. Zeller’s marks were 8.90 in the 55 hurdles, 5-1 1/4 in the high jump, 27-11 1/2 in the shot put, 16-0 1/2 in the long jump and 2:34.07 for third place in the 800-meter.

Toni Lee had UL’s other women’s points with a seventh in the long jump (18-9).

Another Cajun figuring to finish high, women’s vaulter and former All-Sun Belt finisher Andree Bonvillain, missed three times at her opening height and did not place.

Tony Vaccarella and Ben Leonards were the Cajun men to hit the scoring on Saturday, with Vaccarella finishing seventh in the high jump at 6-6 and Leonards finishing eighth in the shot put at 45-4 1/2.

UL’s Chance Perkins stands sixth in the men’s heptathlon after four events with 2,263 points, with the final three disciplines in that event set for today. He had marks of 6.92 in the 55-meter, 19-10 3/4 in the long jump, 31-3 in the shot put and 5-3 in the high jump.

Sun Belt Indoor Track and Field Championships

Saturday’s Results

Men

High Jump – 1. Mark Lee, UNT, 6-9 3/4; 2. Kevin Medina, FIU, 6-8; 3. Brian Gifford, WKU, 6-8; 4. Toby Edwards, UNT, 6-8; 5. Richard Nellhaus, FIU, 6-6; 6. Julius Defour, MT, 6-6; 7. Tony Vaccarella, UL, 6-6; 8. LeBoyd Clewis, UNT, 6-4.

Shot Put – 1. Isaiah Rucker, ASU, 54-4; 2. Willie Parker, MT, 51-7; 3. James Thomas, MT, 51-5; 4. Heath Smith, UNT, 50-10; 5. Matthew Taitt, WKU, 49-9 3/4; 6. Jesse Williams, ASU, 49-4 1/4; 7. Pliver Kilk, WKU, 47-9 1/4; 8. Ben Leonards, UL, 45-4 1/2.

Long Jump – 1. Darreal Beal, ASU, 24-5; 2. Juan Walker, MT, 24-3 1/2; 3. Shawn Aronson, ASU, 24-1 3/4; 4. James Lundberg, UALR, 24-1 1/2; 5. JaKeith Hairston, MT, 24-0 1/4; 6. J. J. Sturm, MT, 23-8 3/4; 7. Sean Waller, MT, 23-8 1/4; 8. Ezra Bialy, USA, 23-8. Other UL: 23. Tony Vaccarella, 20-9 1/4; 24. Chance Perkins, 20-4 1/4; Jason Cherry, foul.

3000-Meter Run – 1. Vincent Rono, USA, 8:28.92; 2. Tonny Okello, USA, 8:30.70; 3. Harry Larubi, USA, 8:32.16; 4. Scott Burley, UNO, 8:38.15; 5. Jonathan Guillou, MT, 8:40.68; 6. Josh Rogers, UNT, 8:41.61; 7. Billy Giano, UNT, 8:42.54; 8. Frank Ngeno, UNT, 8:44.61. Other UL: 12. Justin Lemaire, 9:03.39; 15. Joshua Falgout, 9:19.30.

Heptathlon (through four events) – 1. B. J. Parish, ASU, 2,769 points; 2. Matt Vining, ASU, 2,732; 3. Richard Nellhaus, FIU, 2,726; 4. Evan Van Dolah, ASU, 2,677; 5. Mike Conley, UNO, 2,521; 6. Chance Perkins, UL, 2,263; 7. Juan Chapa, UNO, 2,202; 8. Ryan Heberling, FIU, 2,180.

Men’s Point Totals (after four events)

Middle Tennessee 38, Arkansas State 29, North Texas 27, South Alabama 25, Western Kentucky 12, Fla. International 12, New Orleans 5, Ark.-Little Rock 5, Louisiana 3.

Women

Shot Put – 1. Heather Wood, UNT, 46-2 1/2; 2. Ciji Brooks, UNT, 44-11 1/2; 3. Vanessa Cheatham, UNO, 44-2; 4. Felicia Yearwood, UNO, 43-9; 5. Courtney Wood, WKU, 42-9 1/2; 6. Geri Brown, WKU, 42-6; 7. Meaghan Byrd, MT, 42-2; 8. Rebecca Gosnell, UALR, 41-3 3/4. Other UL: 17. Michelle Sonnier, 36-2 3/4.

Pole Vault – 1. Sara Young, ASU, 13-0 1/4; 2. Erin Kinnear, USA, 11-7 3/4; 3. Emily Sawyer, USA, 11-3 3/4; 4. Karen Pace, ASU, 11-3 3/4; 5. Stephanie Womack, UNT, 10-6; 6. Kelli Hebert, UL, 10-6; 7. Sarah Sandgren, UNT, 10-6; 8. Jenna Fowlkes, USA, 9-6 1/4; 8. Karla Blankenship, Troy, 9-6 1/4. Other UL: Andree Bonvillain no height; Lauryn Allgood no height.

Long Jump – 1. Elisa Dieme-Erlich, FIU, 20-5 3/4; 2. Kerry Walker, FIU, 20-3 1/2; 3. Brandi Stanfield, UNT, 20-2 1/2; 4. Stephanie Tamgho, MT, 20-1; 5. India George, FIU, 19-7; 6. Donita Harmon, FIU, 19-3 1/2; 7. Toni Lee, UL, 18-9; 8. Ronniqua Wilson, UNT, 18-5. Other UL: 10. Latoya Celestine 17-11 3/4; 17. Kioloni Readeaux, 17-2; 19. Kimberly Dussette 17-0 1/2; 21. Casey Zeller, 15-10 1/4.

High Jump – 1. Nicole Knox, USA, 5-8; 2. Bethany Elias, UNO, 5-6; 3. Ryan Hill, UNT, 5-6; 4. Vallery Delaunay, WKU, 5-4 1/4; 5. Latoria English, USA, 5-4 1/4; 6. Laurenie Louissaint, FIU, 5-2 1/4; 7. Florence Edi, USA, 5-2 1/4; Cassandra Hickman, WKU, 5-0 1/4. Other UL: 11. Casey Zeller 5-0 1/4; Latoya Celestine no height.

3000-Meter Run – 1. Diana Jipchirchir, UNO, 10:13.53; 2. Katarina Lovrantova, UALR, 10:18.77; 3. Danah Whitley, WKU, 10:19.64; 4. Apryl Wall, FIU, 10:22.61; 5. Natalie Leeper, WKU, 10:33.62; 6. Amanda Howard, FIU, 10:35.82; 7. Cassie Storms, UNT, 10:54.16; 8. Farrah Stewart, Troy, 10:55.24. Other UL: 10. Casey Brown, 11:26.20.

Pentathlon (final) – 1. Florence Edi, USA, 3,763 points; 2. Deidra Wesley, UNT, 3,539; 3. Monique Johnson, Troy, 3,433; 4. Latoria English, USA, 3,428; 5. Brittney Leftwich, ASU, 3,156; 6. Casey Zeller, UL, 3,111; 7. Erin Clymer, Troy, 3,089; 8. Kyra Kasprzyk, FIU, 3,059.

Women’s Point Totals (after six events)

North Texas 47, South Alabama 45 1/2, Fla. International 37, New Orleans 29, Western Kentucky 22 1/2, Arkansas State 19, Arkansas-Little Rock 9 1/2; Troy 9 1/2, Louisiana 8, Middle Tennessee 7.

Originally published February 26, 2006