DAYTONA BEACH, FL-The USCB men's and women's track team garnered eight All Conference honors at the Sun Conference Track and Field Championships held Sunday and Monday at Embry Riddle University in Daytona Beach, FL as both the men's and women's 4 x 800 meter relay team finished third in their respective races. A number of other Sand Shark athletes also performed extremely well with many recording person bests. All Conference awards were given to the top three in each event. 

The women's 4 x 800 team claimed the first All Conference honor Sunday evening as Jessica Brown, Selena Hutson, Kristy Grannan and Katie Mock almost caught the runner-up team from Florida Memorial before settling for third with a time of 10:11.61. “I knew we had a chance for a podium finish after the Gamecock Open a week and a half ago when our 800 meter women took places three through six there” said Coach Larry Kimball, adding, “I am proud of the way they focused and how they came to the event on a mission.” 

Ten minutes later, the men duplicated the women's effort finishing third for the second year in a row in the same event. “John Stanas and Tommy Reeves were the catalysts for us” said Kimball, continuing “We knew if they could keep us close we would be in a great position as we had our 1:57 and 1:56 runners, Frank Tinsley and Nic Tones, running the third and fourth legs.” 
Reeves was able to pass off to Tinsley even with a Webber runner in third place. After Tinsley's 1:58 leg, Tones was able to coast home in third in a team time of 8:22.19.
 
Earlier on Sunday evening, Marshall Meyer easily bested his school record in the 10000 meters with a time of 33:46.65 which was good for fifth place less and only twelve seconds out of third place. His time was 45 seconds faster than his school record recorded at the same meet a year ago.
 
Also on Sunday, Samantha Willcutt and Rachel Ford competed in the 400 meter event, both posting personal bests placing 17th and 18th respectively.
 
Personal bests continued for USCB on Monday. After the women's 4 x 100 meter relay team of Brown, Caitlin Brady, Ford and Willcutt finished in the sixth spot, the Sand Sharks continued to swim along nicely. Hutson placed seventh for 1500 meters in a new school record time of 5:18.91. Tones followed next with a fourth place in the men's 1500 meters in 4:11.46. 

Hutson returned an hour later to garner another seventh place finish in the 800 meter event with Brown finishing in tenth, Grannan, 12th and Brady 17th. 

Tinsley and Tones then came home fourth and fifth in men's 800 meters in 1:59.24 and 2:00.22 respectively. 

In the 5000 meter race, run under hot and humid conditions at midday, Mock got a sixth place finish for the women while Reeves placed tenth in the men's race. 

Jay Stier placed tenth in the shot put event for USCB.

The meet concluded for the Sand Sharks with the women's 4 x 400 team grabbing a fifth place finish with the same team that captured bronze in the 4 x 800 the night before.
 
“I am extremely happy on the direction the program is going, said Kimball. “With a team of basically distance runners, we will never be able to challenge for a league championship in track, but more importantly, we use track to continue our year round development and this should put us in great shape for next fall's cross country season.” 

The meet concludes the track season for the Sand Sharks except for Meyer, who has qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the marathon in Marion, IN on May 29th. Meyer placed 18th in the event a year ago.