GILLETTE, Wyo. – Chadron State College freshman Damarcus Simpson not only set the Eagles' long jump record Saturday at the Birds and Bees Indoor Track and Field Meet in the Gillette Events Center, but he also took the NCAA Division II lead. The Lafayette, Ga., native went 25 feet, 3 ¼ inches.
 
"Anytime an athlete goes 25 feet in the long jump, it's special," said CSC coach Brad Gamble. "Demarcus is the real deal. He's fast, explosive and works hard."
 
The leap did not come as a huge surprise because Simpson went 24-8 ½ to tie the school record during his first meet in December.  He also had a jump of 24-5 ½ during the Eagles' Twilight Meet a week ago.
 
Simpson also won the 60-meter dash Saturday in 6.81 seconds.  Only two Chadron State sprinters—Alex Graham and Dean Francis—have ever run the event faster.
 
Simpson's best long jump at Lafayette High was 23-11. 
 
Entering the Birds and Bees Meet, which drew eight schools, Simpson was third on the Division II long jump list.  The leader was Colorado Mines' Seun Ogunmodede, who has gone 25 feet even.
 
The Orediggers, including Ogunmodede, also were in Gillette on Saturday, but the Mines senior did not long jump.  Instead, he concentrated on the triple and high jumps, winning both of them with marks of 46-2 and 6-7.
 
While Simpson was the Eagles' standout, they had numerous other exceptional performances.
 
One of the best was by junior Shelby Bozner of Rock Springs, Wyo.  She scored 3,759 points to break the school record of 3,747 points set by all-time great Caryn Martin in 1993.  Gamble said Bozner's total should qualify her for the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships in March.
 
CSC's Kelsy Wood of Hemingford scored a career-best 3,509 points while placing second in the pentathlon and provisionally qualify for the national meet.
 
"I'm really proud of both Shelby and Kelsy," Gamble said. "They are other hard workers who practice and compete against one another every day."
 
The Eagles' Stachia Reuwsaat continued to fare well in the women's long jump.  She won the event Saturday and missed going 20 feet at the third meet this season by just a half inch. Her school-record mark of 21-1 ½ set in December is the second longest in Division II this winter. 
 
Reuwsaat also was the runner-up in the 200 Saturday.
 
Other first-place winners for the CSC women were Tiffany Thomas in the 400 (58.93), Tessa Gorsuch in the 60 hurdles (8.96), Mel Herl in the weight throw (59-7 ½), Angelique Urenda in the high jump (5-3) and the 4x400 relay team made up of Wood, Nikki Glasson, Thomas and Bozner (3:59.22).
 
Both the Herl's weight throw and the time by the relay team are the third best ever on the Chadron State lists.
 
Herl also was the runner-up in the shot put.
 
In the men's competition, sophomore Chris Cutcher of Colorado Springs continued to sparkle in the high hurdles.  He won the race in 8.13 seconds, his season best.  He also was second in both the long and triple jumps.
 
In addition, junior Kyle McCarthy of Aurora, Neb., won the shot put with a career-best of 52-2 ½ and was third in the weight throw.
 
Another individual winner for the Eagles was sophomore Evans Koech of Ethiopia, who captured the 5000 meters. He also was third in the mile.
 
In addition, the Chadron State men won the distance medley relay and were second in the 4x400 best in the 4x400 relay of 3:22.68.
 
Besides Chadron State and Colorado Mines, the other schools with teams in the meet were Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines, Dickinson State, Montana State-Billings, Rocky Mountain and Gillette College.  Several of the events had more than 20 contestants and nearly all of them had at least 15.
 
The Eagles will enter the South Dakota State Invitational Meet at Brookings this coming weekend.
 
CSC's placings and marks follow:  
Women's Results
                60—3, Tory Snyder, 8.06.
                200—2, Stachia Reuwsaat, 25.92; 3, Nikka Glasson, 26.10; 4, Tory Snyder, 26.35; 5, Tessa Gorsuch, 26.67.
                400—1, Tiffany Thomas, 58.93; 4, Shelby Guy, 1:00.64; 5, Alisha Heelan, 1:00.76; 6, Rochelle Nelson, 1:00.78.
                800—5, Miranda Karn, 2:31.30.
                5000—4, Sarah Townsend, 20:34.75
                60 hurdles—1, Tessa Gorsuch, 8.96.
                4x400 relay—1, Chadron State (Kelsy Wood, Nikki Glasson, Tiffany Thomas, Shelby Bozner), 3:59.22.
                Shot put—2, Mel Herl, 43-5 ¾.
                20-pound weight throw—1, Mel Herl, 59-7 ½; 4, Ashlyn Hanson, 49-3 ½.
                Long jump—1, Stachia Reuwsaat, 19-11 ½.
                High jump—1, Angelique Urenda, 5-3; 3, Kenzie May, 5-1.
                Pole vault—3, Angelique Urenda, 10-4; 4, Josey Pehringer, 10-4.
                Pentathlon—1, Shelby Bozner, 3,759 points (school record); 2, Kelsy Wood, 3,509.
                Men's Results
                60—1, Demarcus Simpson, 6.81; 6, Ethan Proud, 7.16.
                200—3, Martin Moriel, 23.10.
                400—2, Martin Moriel, 49.94; 4, Lane Higgins, 51.10.
                800—5. Zerek Jones, 2:00.56
                Mile—2, Evans Koech, 4:35.14; 6, Levi Avila, 4:38.54.
                3000—4, Alejandro Garcia, 9:01.99.
                5000—1, Evans Koech, 15:58.39; 3, Dylan Stansbury, 16:29.16; 6, Josef Gertner, 16:35.31.
                60 hurdles—1, Chris Cutcher, 8.13; 2, Matt Klein, 8.46; 4, Kolby Kester, 8.55.
                4x400 relay—2, Chadron State (Jazz Bozner, Lane Higgins, Chris Cutcher, Martin Moriel) 3:22.68.
                Distance medley relay—1, Chadron State (Levi Avila, Doug Harris, Cody Davis, Alejandro Garcia), 10:44.01.
                Shot put—1, Kyle McCarthy, 52-2 ½; 2, David Aldridge, 48-8; 4, Tanner Rien, 45-5 ¾.
                35-pound weight throw—3, Kyle McCarthy, 53-8 ¼; 6, David Aldridge, 50-8.
                Long jump—1, Demarcus Simpson, 25-3 ¼ (school record); 2, Chris Cutcher, 22-1 ¾; 5, Barrett Browne, 21-8 ¾.
                Triple jump—2, Chris Cutcher, 44- ¾; 4, Barrett Bowne, 49-8 ¼.
                Pole vault—2, Skyler Hoopes, 15-4 ¼; 6, Brayden Knapp, 14-4 ½.