North Carolina
ACC Outdoor Championships
Owens, Ryncavage Claim ACC Crowns
April 19, 2007 | Track & Field
April 19, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Nick Owens won his second career Atlantic Coast Conference title in the men's hammer throw and Justin Ryncavage took the javelin crown for the second straight year to highlight an impressive first day of action for the North Carolina men's and women's track and field teams Thursday at the ACC Outdoor Championships at Kehoe Track at Ludwig Field on the campus of the University of Maryland.
Owens tossed 223-3 on his fifth of six attempts to win the event, narrowly besting Virgina Tech's Matej Muza, whose 222-6 on his last attempt wasn't enough to catch the UNC senior. Owens also claimed the ACC hammer throw title his freshman year and has added All-ACC performances the past two seasons.
Ryncavage, the 2006 NCAA javelin champion, made it back-to-back ACC titles in the event with a 233-5 throw that came on his second attempt. Carolina sophomore Adam Montague was runner-up for the second year in a row as well with his 219-9 heave, earning All-ACC honors in the process. Erek Latzka capped a dominating performance by UNC in the event, finishing fifth to score points with a 194-9 toss, a new personal best.
For the UNC women, Ashley Haislip cleared 5-7 - a season-best - in the women's high jump to finish fourth and score points for the Tar Heels. La'Shonda Carter joined her in the scoring, placing sixth with a 5-5 effort.
The day also marked the start of multis competition, and UNC had athletes on both the men's and women's side post good results. Mateo Sossah scored 3,705 points and sits in second place in the decathlon after five events, topping the 800-point plateau Thursday in the long jump, high jump and the 400 meters. Teammate Daniel Keller currently stands in fourth position, recording 3,601 points on the first day.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Coppadge scored 3,016 points through four events of the women's heptathlon, putting her in sixth place heading into Friday's action.
Competition at the meet will resume at 10 a.m. Friday, starting with the remaining events in the men's decathlon.
For the full meet schedule and more information, check out Championships Central. Live stats will be available at www.flashresults.com.
Players Mentioned
