East Carolina University
Conference USA Indoor Championships
Aliotta Claims C-USA Shot Put Title
February 28, 2010 | Track & Field
Feb. 28, 2010
2010 Conference USA Indoor Championships 
Complete Meet Results in PDF Format
HOUSTON, Texas - Sophomore Dennis Aliotta made sure that the East Carolina track and field teams would leave Houston with an event title, as the Pirates wrapped up competition at the 2010 Conference USA Indoor Championships Saturday. Aliotta secured a mark of 16.95 meters in the shot put, beating out Knut Syversen of Memphis. Both the men and the women took sixth-place in the championships while Tynia Butts was named C-USA Indoor Freshman-of-the-Year.
"We were very excited as a coaching staff on how the weekend went for the most part," head coach Curt Kraft stated. "You are always going to have surprises and letdowns at a conference championship. As long as there are more positives than negatives, you have no choice but to be happy. We accomplished many things, including Tynita's Freshman-of-the-Year honors, four school records set, Dennis' shot put championship, two provisional NCAA qualifiers, the highest point total for the women since I have been here, six athletes on the podium and 27 combined season-best marks."
Antonial Marshall and Isiah Gyasi took third and fourth in the finals of the 60-meter dash, both clocking in at 6.84. Marshall then followed that performance with a seventh-place nod in the 200-meter dash by finishing the race in 22.16. Ron Wright picked up a seventh-place result in the 400-meter dash finals, recording a time of 49.64. The 4x400 relay team of Wright, Marshall, Jarrett Newby and Mario Briscoe finished just off the podium, taking fourth-place at 3:22.88.
In the pole vault, Aaron Zakula captured sixth-place by reaching 4.61 meters and setting the school record in the event.
Tiffany Harris improved her placement from the prelims of the 400-meter dash, finishing fifth in the finals with a time of 56.08. Additionally, Brittany Copeland continued her strong showing at the meet, taking second in the 3,000-meter run and just missing an NCAA provisional mark with a 9:36.01 result.
In the field events, Tynita Butts put up a stellar 1.83-meter mark in the high jump, an NCAA provisional mark that will most likely land her in the NCAA Indoor Championships field in two weeks. Cameila Morman placed sixth in the triple jump, recording 12.14 meters on her last attempt.
East Carolina has officially ended its indoor season, but Copeland and Butts will wait to learn if they will be selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, slated for March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
