.svg){kind=small}
Samford leads SoCon Indoor Track & Field Championships
Reigning champion Bulldogs seeking eighth straight women’s title, fourth straight men’s crown
LEXINGTON, Va. – Samford’s men and women lead the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships after Saturday’s first day of competition at the VMI Corps Physical Training Facility. Eleven event titles were determined and one meet record fell on day one.
Samford’s men totaled 55.5 points Saturday to hold an 18.5-point lead over Western Carolina as they try to win their fourth straight championship. The Bulldog women are even more comfortably ahead, as the seven-time defending championships put up 80 points on day to lead second-place Wofford by 32.
Samford’s men and Furman’s men, who currently sit third with 35 points, won two titles each, while Western Carolina added one. Similarly, Samford’s women and Furman’s also claimed two titles apiece, while Wofford and VMI also earned wins Saturday.
Furman’s women’s team broke the meet record in the distance medley relay for the second straight season. Kaylie Armitage, Erin MacDevette, Camryn Wennersten and Megan Marvin – the only holdover from last year’s record-setting relay unit – turned in a school-record time of 11:25.60 to take nearly six seconds off the previous meet standard. The SoCon title was Furman’s seventh straight in the event.
Among other highlights of the day, Wofford’s Netanya Linares and Furman’s Carson Williams successfully defended titles in the pentathlon and 3,000-meter run, respectively, while Samford’s Hannah Daffin won her second career shot put title.
Linares put the first team points on the board with her second straight pentathlon win, as she totaled a school-record 3,795 points on the strength of first-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles, long jump and high jump and a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run. Her leap of 1.67 meters in the high jump was also a program record. Her pentathlon win was Wofford’s fourth straight in the event.
Williams paced five Paladin scorers in the 3,000m, clocking 8:22.51 for Furman’s fourth win in the event in the last six years. The Paladins banked 25 points in the event Saturday before Mac Roberts, Jonah Dill, Nick Epstein and Dylan Schubert won the DMR in 9:56.28 as Furman scored all 35 of its points in the day’s final two track events.
Daffin turned in a heave of 14.21 meters on her final throw of the day to add another shot put gold medal to the one she claimed in 2021. Teammate Emma Nolte joined her on the podium in third, while the Bulldogs had two more scorers in the event to net 22 points.
Samford freshman Dorsey Parker led a Bulldog podium sweep in the high jump, clearing 1.68 meters on her first attempt. Grace Gamboa took second place after needing two tries to clear 1.68, and Erin Long was third at 1.63 meters. Two more Bulldogs scored in the event as Samford claimed 27 points.
Abigail Robertson claimed Furman’s third straight 3,000m women’s title, as she finished in 9:26.48 to win by more than seven seconds. The Paladins banked 18 points in the event.
VMI’s Eleyah Armstrong won the long jump with a leap of 5.86 meters.
The first men’s title of the day went to Western Carolina’s Riley Center, who won the shot put with a throw of 14.44 meters.
Samford’s Ty Kimberlin won the long jump with a leap of 7.44 meters, snapping Western Carolina’s four-year winning streak in the event. Kimberlin is also leading the heptathlon through four events, as he won the long jump, shot put and high jump and finished third in the 60-meter dash to total 3,087 points with three events to go.
The Bulldogs’ Walker Smith claimed the title in the pole vault, clearing 4.65 meters. Freshman teammate Carter Ellis took second, also clearing 4.65 meters. In total, Samford collected 23.5 team points in the event.
The SoCon Championships resume Sunday with the resumption of the heptathlon at 9 a.m. Live results, daily recaps and photos can be found at SoConSports.com. Day two will air on ESPN+ starting at 12 p.m. ET.
Men’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 55.5 points
2. Western Carolina – 37
3. Furman – 35
4. ETSU – 30.5
5. VMI – 23
6. The Citadel – 10
7. Wofford – 3
8. UNCG – 0
Women’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 82 points
2. Wofford – 50
T3. Furman – 28
T3. ETSU – 28
5. VMI – 13
T6. Western Carolina – 12
T6. The Citadel – 12
8. Chattanooga – 9
9. UNCG – 0
Day 1 champions
Men: Shot put Riley Center, Western Carolina (14.44 meters); pole vault Walker Smith, Samford (4.65 meters); long jump Ty Kimberlin, Samford (7.44 meters); 3,000-meter run Carson Williams, Furman (8:22.51); distance medley relay Mac Roberts, Jonah Dill, Nick Epstein, Dylan Schubert, Furman (9:56.28).
Women: Pentathlon Netanya Linares, Wofford (3,795 points); long jump Eleyah Armstrong, VMI (5.86 meters); shot put Hannah Daffin, Samford (14.21 meters); 3,000-meter run Abigail Robertson, Furman (9:26.48); high jump Dorsey Parker, Samford (1.68 meters); distance medley relay Kaylie Armitage, Erin MacDevette, Camryn Wennersten, Megan Marvin, Furman, (11:25.60*).
* meet record
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Men’s shot put
Johnerio Holt, Samford
Logan Wagner, ETSU
Eli Penix, Samford
Men’s pole vault
Carter Ellis, Samford
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
Men’s long jump
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Claude Campbell, Samford
Men’s 3,000-meter run
Luke Taylor, Furman
Xian Campbell, ETSU
Evan Pena, UNCG
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Pentathlon
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Rashni Walker, Samford
Olivia Bagg, Wofford
Women’s long jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Se’More Green, VMI
Anaya Young, ETSU
Women’s shot put
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Olivia Bagg, Wofford
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
Women’s high jump
Dorsey Parker, Samford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Sadler Miller, Western Carolina
Women’s 3,000-meter run
Jenna Mulhern, Furman
Chanelle Kruger, ETSU
Carly Wilkes, Furman
Samford’s men totaled 55.5 points Saturday to hold an 18.5-point lead over Western Carolina as they try to win their fourth straight championship. The Bulldog women are even more comfortably ahead, as the seven-time defending championships put up 80 points on day to lead second-place Wofford by 32.
Samford’s men and Furman’s men, who currently sit third with 35 points, won two titles each, while Western Carolina added one. Similarly, Samford’s women and Furman’s also claimed two titles apiece, while Wofford and VMI also earned wins Saturday.
Furman’s women’s team broke the meet record in the distance medley relay for the second straight season. Kaylie Armitage, Erin MacDevette, Camryn Wennersten and Megan Marvin – the only holdover from last year’s record-setting relay unit – turned in a school-record time of 11:25.60 to take nearly six seconds off the previous meet standard. The SoCon title was Furman’s seventh straight in the event.
Among other highlights of the day, Wofford’s Netanya Linares and Furman’s Carson Williams successfully defended titles in the pentathlon and 3,000-meter run, respectively, while Samford’s Hannah Daffin won her second career shot put title.
Linares put the first team points on the board with her second straight pentathlon win, as she totaled a school-record 3,795 points on the strength of first-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles, long jump and high jump and a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run. Her leap of 1.67 meters in the high jump was also a program record. Her pentathlon win was Wofford’s fourth straight in the event.
Williams paced five Paladin scorers in the 3,000m, clocking 8:22.51 for Furman’s fourth win in the event in the last six years. The Paladins banked 25 points in the event Saturday before Mac Roberts, Jonah Dill, Nick Epstein and Dylan Schubert won the DMR in 9:56.28 as Furman scored all 35 of its points in the day’s final two track events.
Daffin turned in a heave of 14.21 meters on her final throw of the day to add another shot put gold medal to the one she claimed in 2021. Teammate Emma Nolte joined her on the podium in third, while the Bulldogs had two more scorers in the event to net 22 points.
Samford freshman Dorsey Parker led a Bulldog podium sweep in the high jump, clearing 1.68 meters on her first attempt. Grace Gamboa took second place after needing two tries to clear 1.68, and Erin Long was third at 1.63 meters. Two more Bulldogs scored in the event as Samford claimed 27 points.
Abigail Robertson claimed Furman’s third straight 3,000m women’s title, as she finished in 9:26.48 to win by more than seven seconds. The Paladins banked 18 points in the event.
VMI’s Eleyah Armstrong won the long jump with a leap of 5.86 meters.
The first men’s title of the day went to Western Carolina’s Riley Center, who won the shot put with a throw of 14.44 meters.
Samford’s Ty Kimberlin won the long jump with a leap of 7.44 meters, snapping Western Carolina’s four-year winning streak in the event. Kimberlin is also leading the heptathlon through four events, as he won the long jump, shot put and high jump and finished third in the 60-meter dash to total 3,087 points with three events to go.
The Bulldogs’ Walker Smith claimed the title in the pole vault, clearing 4.65 meters. Freshman teammate Carter Ellis took second, also clearing 4.65 meters. In total, Samford collected 23.5 team points in the event.
The SoCon Championships resume Sunday with the resumption of the heptathlon at 9 a.m. Live results, daily recaps and photos can be found at SoConSports.com. Day two will air on ESPN+ starting at 12 p.m. ET.
Men’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 55.5 points
2. Western Carolina – 37
3. Furman – 35
4. ETSU – 30.5
5. VMI – 23
6. The Citadel – 10
7. Wofford – 3
8. UNCG – 0
Women’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 82 points
2. Wofford – 50
T3. Furman – 28
T3. ETSU – 28
5. VMI – 13
T6. Western Carolina – 12
T6. The Citadel – 12
8. Chattanooga – 9
9. UNCG – 0
Day 1 champions
Men: Shot put Riley Center, Western Carolina (14.44 meters); pole vault Walker Smith, Samford (4.65 meters); long jump Ty Kimberlin, Samford (7.44 meters); 3,000-meter run Carson Williams, Furman (8:22.51); distance medley relay Mac Roberts, Jonah Dill, Nick Epstein, Dylan Schubert, Furman (9:56.28).
Women: Pentathlon Netanya Linares, Wofford (3,795 points); long jump Eleyah Armstrong, VMI (5.86 meters); shot put Hannah Daffin, Samford (14.21 meters); 3,000-meter run Abigail Robertson, Furman (9:26.48); high jump Dorsey Parker, Samford (1.68 meters); distance medley relay Kaylie Armitage, Erin MacDevette, Camryn Wennersten, Megan Marvin, Furman, (11:25.60*).
* meet record
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Men’s shot put
Johnerio Holt, Samford
Logan Wagner, ETSU
Eli Penix, Samford
Men’s pole vault
Carter Ellis, Samford
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
Men’s long jump
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Claude Campbell, Samford
Men’s 3,000-meter run
Luke Taylor, Furman
Xian Campbell, ETSU
Evan Pena, UNCG
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Pentathlon
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Rashni Walker, Samford
Olivia Bagg, Wofford
Women’s long jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Se’More Green, VMI
Anaya Young, ETSU
Women’s shot put
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Olivia Bagg, Wofford
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
Women’s high jump
Dorsey Parker, Samford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Sadler Miller, Western Carolina
Women’s 3,000-meter run
Jenna Mulhern, Furman
Chanelle Kruger, ETSU
Carly Wilkes, Furman
-www.SoConSports.com-