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Samford men, women repeat as SoCon indoor track & field champions
Bulldog women win record eighth straight title, men claim fourth in a row
LEXINGTON, Va. – Samford won its record eighth straight women’s title and its fourth consecutive men's title Sunday at the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at VMI's Corps Physical Training Facility. VMI’s Keyandre Midgett earned the Heath Whittle Award as the men's Most Outstanding Athlete and Wofford’s Netanya Linares earned the women's Most Outstanding Athlete award.
Three meet records fell Sunday, while Samford’s Brittany Bishop, Ty Kimberlin and Titus Moore all became four-time winners in their respective events. ETSU’s Genevieve Schwarz, Furman’s Megan Marvin and Wofford’s Kerrington Johnson all became three-time winners.
The Samford women totaled 183.33 points on the day, nearly doubling their day-one advantage of 32 points over runner-up Wofford. The Bulldogs broke a tie with App State, who twice won seven straight team titles, for the most consecutive championships in league history.
The Terriers finished with 120 points for their second runner-up finish in three seasons. ETSU was third with 84 points and Furman and Western Carolina tied for fourth with 82 each. The Bulldogs won two events Sunday, while Wofford won three and ETSU and Furman claimed two each.
On the men’s side, Samford scored 174.5 points to outdistance runner-up Western Carolina, which scored 122.33. ETSU was third with 102.5 and host VMI was fourth with 96.33. The Bulldogs claimed four event wins Sunday, with Furman, VMI and Western Carolina winning two events apiece.
Samford claimed two of the new meet records Sunday, with Kimberlin and Moore supplanting their own marks, while Furman’s Dylan Schubert also set a new meet standard.
Kimberlin, already the only SoCon student-athlete to win the heptathlon three times, won his fourth with a meet-record total of 5,442 points. The graduate student from Olive Branch, Mississippi, won five of the seven events, claiming the long jump, shot put, high jump, pole vault and 1,000-meter run to top the league record he set last season. He led a Samford sweep of the top four spots in the heptathlon, as the Bulldogs banked 29 team points in the event.
Moore erased is own mark in the 60-meter hurdles that he set in 2020 in the prelims. On Sunday, he finished in 7.79 seconds for his fourth career win in the event, taking 0.02 seconds off of his old mark.
Schubert took more than a second off the old mark in the 5,000-meter run, turning in a time of 13:54.58 to erase the record of 13:55.73 set by Samford’s Arsene Guillorel in 2016. Teammate Adam Beucler was second as the Paladins turned in the 1-2 finish.
Midgett picked up the first title of the day, winning the triple jump with a leap of 15.24 meters. After Kimberlin’s heptathlon win went final, Furman’s Carson Williams won the mile in 4:05.67, marking Furman’s seventh straight win in the event. After Moore’s record-setting run, Samford saw a pair of teammates tie for gold in the 60-meter dash, with William Malcolm and Cagan Campbell turning in identical times of 6.84 seconds and the Bulldogs’ Evan Brooks finishing third to make it a podium sweep. Campbell would add another title later in the afternoon, winning the 200-meter dash in 21.58 seconds.
WCU’s Michael Harris picked up the first of his two event wins on the day in the 400-meter dash, turning in a time of 47.87 seconds. He would later run the anchor leg on the Catamounts’ winning 4x400-meter relay, which clocked 3:17.80.
ETSU’s Phelani Maduwa led a 1-2 Bucs finish in the 800-meter run, winning in 1:50.12. VMI claimed a pair of podium finishes in the weight throw, with Andrew Granger winning with a throw of 16.78 meters and Herbert Brooks finishing third.
Wofford’s Tanner Henry won the high jump by clearing 2.05 meters before Western Carolina closed out the day with its 4x400m win.
The first four women’s events of the day to go final were won by different schools. Samford’s Hannah Daffin got things going with her win in the weight throw, with her toss of 18.37 meters securing her second straight title in the event.
ETSU’s Schwarz followed with her third straight win in the mile, in 4:46.22, while Wofford’s Johnson followed with her third straight 60-meter hurdles title, in 8.53 seconds. VMI’s Eleyah Armstrong then won the 60-meter dash in 7.56 seconds.
Wofford became the first women’s squad to win multiple titles Sunday when Jasmine Jefferson claimed the 400-meter dash in 56.16, and Furman’s Marvin followed with her third straight win in the 800-meter run, falling just short of her own meet record with a time of 2:06.25.
ETSU’s Tya Blake won the triple jump with a leap of 11.63 meters, and Wofford’s Madeline McNinch defended her title in the 200-meter dash in 24.70 seconds.
The next women’s event to go final was the pole vault, with Bishop clearing 3.70 meters for her fourth consecutive title.
Abigail Robertson won the 5,000-meter run in 16:23.42, finishing less than a second behind the meet record, to give Furman nine straight titles in the event.
Western Carolina then closed out the women’s meet with a thrilling come-from-behind win in the 4x400-meter relay, with anchor Nytrinitey Jenkins chasing down Samford’s Kaitlyn Cole to give the Catamounts the win in 3:50.26, just 0.33 seconds ahead of the Bulldogs.
VMI’s Midgett scored a meet-best 26 points to claim Most Outstanding Athlete honors, adding second-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump to his win in the triple jump.
Wofford’s Linares totaled 24 points for the meet, winning the pentathlon on Saturday and adding fourth-place finishes in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles and a fifth-place showing in the long jump, as she scored in four events.
For the second time in his career, Samford’s Jeb Jones won the men’s Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete with the top grade point average on the winning team, while the Bulldogs’ Erin Long won the women’s Pinnacle Award for the second straight season.
The NCAA will announce the field for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on NCAA.com on Tuesday. The meet will be held March 10-11, 2023, at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Men’s results – Final
1. Samford – 174.5 points
2. Western Carolina – 122.33
3. ETSU – 102.5
4. VMI – 96.33
5. Furman – 86
6. The Citadel – 41.33
7. Wofford – 34
8. UNCG – 4
Women’s results – Final
1. Samford – 183.33 points
2. Wofford – 120
3. ETSU – 84
T4. Furman – 82
T4. Western Carolina – 82
6. The Citadel – 49.33
7. VMI – 38.33
8. Chattanooga – 20
9. UNCG – 3
Heath Whittle Award (Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete)
Keyandre Midgett, VMI
Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Netanya Linares, Wofford
Men’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Jeb Jones, Samford
Women’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Erin Long, Samford
Day 2 champions
Men: Triple jump Keyandre Midgett, VMI (15.24 meters); heptathlon Ty Kimberlin, Samford (5,442 points*); mile Carson Williams, Furman (4:05.67); 60-meter hurdles Titus Moore, Samford (7.79*); 60-meter dash William Malcolm, Samford/Cagan Campbell, Samford (6.84); 400-meter dash Michael Harris, Western Carolina (47.87); 800-meter run Phelani Maduwa, ETSU (1:50.12) weight throw Andrew Granger, VMI (16.78 meters); 200-meter Cagan Campbell, Samford (21.58); high jump Tanner Henry, Wofford (2.05 meters); 5,000-meter run Dylan Schubert, Furman (13:54.58*); 4x400-meter relay Dohnavon Hunt, Teddy Ayden, David Miles, Michael Harris, Western Carolina (3:17.80).
Women: Weight throw Hannah Daffin, Samford (18.37 meters); mile Genevieve Schwarz, ETSU (4:46.22); 60-meter hurdles Kerrington Johnson, Wofford (8.53); 60-meter dash Eleyah Armstrong, VMI (7.56); 400-meter dash Jasmine Jefferson, Wofford (56.16); 800-meter run Megan Marvin, Furman (2:06.25); triple jump Tya Blake, ETSU (11.68 meters); 200-meter dash Madeline McNinch, Wofford (24.70); pole vault Brittany Bishop, Samford (3.70 meters); 5,000-meter run Abigail Robertson, Furman (16:23.42); 4x400-meter relay Taja Booker, Mekyll Robinson, Mikayla Turner, Nytrinitey Jenkins, Western Carolina (3:50.26).
* meet record
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Men’s triple jump
Nathan Williams, Western Carolina
Tate Sistare, The Citadel
Men’s heptathlon
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s mile
Nate Hillis, ETSU
Matthew Martin, Western Carolina
Ben Kenner, ETSU
Men’s 60-meter hurdles
Claude Campbell, Samford
Treven McGhee, ETSU
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s 60-meter dash
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Skyler Woodard, Western Carolina
D’Shawn Fletcher, ETSU
Men’s 400-meter dash
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
Thomas Stamper, Wofford
Men’s 800-meter run
Conner Overly, ETSU
Will Berger, Wofford
Men’s weight throw
Jacob Thomas, Western Carolina
Quin Goodson, Wofford
Chase Edwards, Wofford
Men’s 200-meter dash
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
Men’s high jump
Jack Mulvey, The Citadel
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s 5,000-meter run
Xian Campbell, ETSU
Andrew McGinnis, Samford
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Women’s weight throw
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Claire Harrison, Samford
Women’s mile
Camryn Wennersten, Furman
Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga
Emma Jones, Furman
Women’s 60-meter hurdles
Meg Coleman, Samford
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Rashni Walker, Samford
Women’s 60-meter dash
Ella Tennant, Wofford
Heaven Hall, VMI
Women’s 400-meter dash
Grace Lueders, Samford
Heaven Hall, VMI
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Women’s 800-meter run
Reagan O’Quinn, UNCG
Clair Garrett, Furman
Delaney Mulick, Chattanooga
Women’s triple jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Anaya Young, ETSU
Women’s 200-meter dash
Se’More Green, VMI
Ella Tennant, Wofford
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Women’s pole vault
Taylor Hill, VMI
Lindsey Havens, Samford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Women’s 5,000-meter run
Jenna Mulhern, Furman
Carly Wilkes, Furman
Gabbie Hoots, Samford
Three meet records fell Sunday, while Samford’s Brittany Bishop, Ty Kimberlin and Titus Moore all became four-time winners in their respective events. ETSU’s Genevieve Schwarz, Furman’s Megan Marvin and Wofford’s Kerrington Johnson all became three-time winners.
The Samford women totaled 183.33 points on the day, nearly doubling their day-one advantage of 32 points over runner-up Wofford. The Bulldogs broke a tie with App State, who twice won seven straight team titles, for the most consecutive championships in league history.
The Terriers finished with 120 points for their second runner-up finish in three seasons. ETSU was third with 84 points and Furman and Western Carolina tied for fourth with 82 each. The Bulldogs won two events Sunday, while Wofford won three and ETSU and Furman claimed two each.
On the men’s side, Samford scored 174.5 points to outdistance runner-up Western Carolina, which scored 122.33. ETSU was third with 102.5 and host VMI was fourth with 96.33. The Bulldogs claimed four event wins Sunday, with Furman, VMI and Western Carolina winning two events apiece.
Samford claimed two of the new meet records Sunday, with Kimberlin and Moore supplanting their own marks, while Furman’s Dylan Schubert also set a new meet standard.
Kimberlin, already the only SoCon student-athlete to win the heptathlon three times, won his fourth with a meet-record total of 5,442 points. The graduate student from Olive Branch, Mississippi, won five of the seven events, claiming the long jump, shot put, high jump, pole vault and 1,000-meter run to top the league record he set last season. He led a Samford sweep of the top four spots in the heptathlon, as the Bulldogs banked 29 team points in the event.
Moore erased is own mark in the 60-meter hurdles that he set in 2020 in the prelims. On Sunday, he finished in 7.79 seconds for his fourth career win in the event, taking 0.02 seconds off of his old mark.
Schubert took more than a second off the old mark in the 5,000-meter run, turning in a time of 13:54.58 to erase the record of 13:55.73 set by Samford’s Arsene Guillorel in 2016. Teammate Adam Beucler was second as the Paladins turned in the 1-2 finish.
Midgett picked up the first title of the day, winning the triple jump with a leap of 15.24 meters. After Kimberlin’s heptathlon win went final, Furman’s Carson Williams won the mile in 4:05.67, marking Furman’s seventh straight win in the event. After Moore’s record-setting run, Samford saw a pair of teammates tie for gold in the 60-meter dash, with William Malcolm and Cagan Campbell turning in identical times of 6.84 seconds and the Bulldogs’ Evan Brooks finishing third to make it a podium sweep. Campbell would add another title later in the afternoon, winning the 200-meter dash in 21.58 seconds.
WCU’s Michael Harris picked up the first of his two event wins on the day in the 400-meter dash, turning in a time of 47.87 seconds. He would later run the anchor leg on the Catamounts’ winning 4x400-meter relay, which clocked 3:17.80.
ETSU’s Phelani Maduwa led a 1-2 Bucs finish in the 800-meter run, winning in 1:50.12. VMI claimed a pair of podium finishes in the weight throw, with Andrew Granger winning with a throw of 16.78 meters and Herbert Brooks finishing third.
Wofford’s Tanner Henry won the high jump by clearing 2.05 meters before Western Carolina closed out the day with its 4x400m win.
The first four women’s events of the day to go final were won by different schools. Samford’s Hannah Daffin got things going with her win in the weight throw, with her toss of 18.37 meters securing her second straight title in the event.
ETSU’s Schwarz followed with her third straight win in the mile, in 4:46.22, while Wofford’s Johnson followed with her third straight 60-meter hurdles title, in 8.53 seconds. VMI’s Eleyah Armstrong then won the 60-meter dash in 7.56 seconds.
Wofford became the first women’s squad to win multiple titles Sunday when Jasmine Jefferson claimed the 400-meter dash in 56.16, and Furman’s Marvin followed with her third straight win in the 800-meter run, falling just short of her own meet record with a time of 2:06.25.
ETSU’s Tya Blake won the triple jump with a leap of 11.63 meters, and Wofford’s Madeline McNinch defended her title in the 200-meter dash in 24.70 seconds.
The next women’s event to go final was the pole vault, with Bishop clearing 3.70 meters for her fourth consecutive title.
Abigail Robertson won the 5,000-meter run in 16:23.42, finishing less than a second behind the meet record, to give Furman nine straight titles in the event.
Western Carolina then closed out the women’s meet with a thrilling come-from-behind win in the 4x400-meter relay, with anchor Nytrinitey Jenkins chasing down Samford’s Kaitlyn Cole to give the Catamounts the win in 3:50.26, just 0.33 seconds ahead of the Bulldogs.
VMI’s Midgett scored a meet-best 26 points to claim Most Outstanding Athlete honors, adding second-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump to his win in the triple jump.
Wofford’s Linares totaled 24 points for the meet, winning the pentathlon on Saturday and adding fourth-place finishes in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles and a fifth-place showing in the long jump, as she scored in four events.
For the second time in his career, Samford’s Jeb Jones won the men’s Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete with the top grade point average on the winning team, while the Bulldogs’ Erin Long won the women’s Pinnacle Award for the second straight season.
The NCAA will announce the field for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on NCAA.com on Tuesday. The meet will be held March 10-11, 2023, at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Men’s results – Final
1. Samford – 174.5 points
2. Western Carolina – 122.33
3. ETSU – 102.5
4. VMI – 96.33
5. Furman – 86
6. The Citadel – 41.33
7. Wofford – 34
8. UNCG – 4
Women’s results – Final
1. Samford – 183.33 points
2. Wofford – 120
3. ETSU – 84
T4. Furman – 82
T4. Western Carolina – 82
6. The Citadel – 49.33
7. VMI – 38.33
8. Chattanooga – 20
9. UNCG – 3
Heath Whittle Award (Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete)
Keyandre Midgett, VMI
Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Netanya Linares, Wofford
Men’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Jeb Jones, Samford
Women’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Erin Long, Samford
Day 2 champions
Men: Triple jump Keyandre Midgett, VMI (15.24 meters); heptathlon Ty Kimberlin, Samford (5,442 points*); mile Carson Williams, Furman (4:05.67); 60-meter hurdles Titus Moore, Samford (7.79*); 60-meter dash William Malcolm, Samford/Cagan Campbell, Samford (6.84); 400-meter dash Michael Harris, Western Carolina (47.87); 800-meter run Phelani Maduwa, ETSU (1:50.12) weight throw Andrew Granger, VMI (16.78 meters); 200-meter Cagan Campbell, Samford (21.58); high jump Tanner Henry, Wofford (2.05 meters); 5,000-meter run Dylan Schubert, Furman (13:54.58*); 4x400-meter relay Dohnavon Hunt, Teddy Ayden, David Miles, Michael Harris, Western Carolina (3:17.80).
Women: Weight throw Hannah Daffin, Samford (18.37 meters); mile Genevieve Schwarz, ETSU (4:46.22); 60-meter hurdles Kerrington Johnson, Wofford (8.53); 60-meter dash Eleyah Armstrong, VMI (7.56); 400-meter dash Jasmine Jefferson, Wofford (56.16); 800-meter run Megan Marvin, Furman (2:06.25); triple jump Tya Blake, ETSU (11.68 meters); 200-meter dash Madeline McNinch, Wofford (24.70); pole vault Brittany Bishop, Samford (3.70 meters); 5,000-meter run Abigail Robertson, Furman (16:23.42); 4x400-meter relay Taja Booker, Mekyll Robinson, Mikayla Turner, Nytrinitey Jenkins, Western Carolina (3:50.26).
* meet record
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Men’s triple jump
Nathan Williams, Western Carolina
Tate Sistare, The Citadel
Men’s heptathlon
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s mile
Nate Hillis, ETSU
Matthew Martin, Western Carolina
Ben Kenner, ETSU
Men’s 60-meter hurdles
Claude Campbell, Samford
Treven McGhee, ETSU
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s 60-meter dash
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Skyler Woodard, Western Carolina
D’Shawn Fletcher, ETSU
Men’s 400-meter dash
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
Thomas Stamper, Wofford
Men’s 800-meter run
Conner Overly, ETSU
Will Berger, Wofford
Men’s weight throw
Jacob Thomas, Western Carolina
Quin Goodson, Wofford
Chase Edwards, Wofford
Men’s 200-meter dash
Dohnavon Hunt, Western Carolina
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
Men’s high jump
Jack Mulvey, The Citadel
Zion Bennett, Wofford
Men’s 5,000-meter run
Xian Campbell, ETSU
Andrew McGinnis, Samford
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Women’s weight throw
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Claire Harrison, Samford
Women’s mile
Camryn Wennersten, Furman
Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga
Emma Jones, Furman
Women’s 60-meter hurdles
Meg Coleman, Samford
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Rashni Walker, Samford
Women’s 60-meter dash
Ella Tennant, Wofford
Heaven Hall, VMI
Women’s 400-meter dash
Grace Lueders, Samford
Heaven Hall, VMI
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Women’s 800-meter run
Reagan O’Quinn, UNCG
Clair Garrett, Furman
Delaney Mulick, Chattanooga
Women’s triple jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Anaya Young, ETSU
Women’s 200-meter dash
Se’More Green, VMI
Ella Tennant, Wofford
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Women’s pole vault
Taylor Hill, VMI
Lindsey Havens, Samford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Women’s 5,000-meter run
Jenna Mulhern, Furman
Carly Wilkes, Furman
Gabbie Hoots, Samford
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