SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships wrap up

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Western Carolina's men and Samford's women won the team titles Sunday at the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. Three meet records fell on the second day of competition.

For the Catamounts, it was their ninth team title and fourth straight. The Bulldogs claimed their third title overall and second in the last three seasons. Western Carolina's men overtook runner-up Samford for the team lead midway through the afternoon, while the Bulldog women built a big lead on Saturday and never trailed Sunday in running away with the team title.

In the men's race, Western Carolina finished with 186 points, followed by Samford with 169. ETSU finished third with 136 and Wofford had its best-ever showing with 91 points for fourth. Furman (88), The Citadel (74), VMI (65) and UNC Greensboro (five) rounded out the standings.

On the women's side, Samford totaled 228 points, with Wofford posting its highest-ever finish with 126 points to claim second. Defending champion Western Carolina finished third with 119 points, followed by ETSU (100), Furman (91), Mercer (70), VMI and The Citadel (31 each), Chattanooga (15) and UNCG (eight).

Early in the afternoon, Samford's men wrested the lead from day-one leader ETSU with a podium sweep in the 110-meter hurdles, led by Emmanuel Tait's win in 14.15. It wasn't long after, however, that Western Carolina took a lead it would not relinquish, picking up 25 points in the triple jump on Dijoun Huitt's second straight win in the event and a 4-8 Catamount finish.

The meet's Most Outstanding Athletes each broke meet records in the discus Sunday. ETSU's Ben Johnson earned his second career title in the event with a throw of 54.53 meters (178-11), while Samford's Maggie Johnston won her third straight title with a throw of 51.40 meters (168-08). Johnson's effort crushed the old mark of 52.25 meters set by Appalachian State's Jared Stalling in 2012, while Johnston added more than three meters to her own record (48.31 meters) from last year.

Samford's women claimed a pair of meet records on the day, as redshirt senior Karisa Nelson passed Furman's Savannah Carnahan down the stretch to claim the 1,500-meter run in 4:18.52, knocking nearly a second off the mark set by Furman's Allie Buchalski (4:19.44) last season.

There were seven double winners Sunday. Western Carolina's Devaniel Dale claimed the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash, while Furman's Ryan Adams won the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run. The SoCon title in the 800 was the second of his career.

For the women, Samford's Johnston won the shot put in addition to the discus, Wofford's Amber Lust won the heptathlon and the 100-meter hurdles and the Terriers' McLeod Dean successfully defended her titles in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Mercer, which swept the relays, saw Kennedi Weston-Shields and Tessola Duncan earn gold medals in both.

All told, Western Carolina's men won five event titles Sunday. In addition to Huitt's triple jump win and Dale's two titles, Dakota Wright earned his first title in the shot put, edging ETSU's Johnson by just 0.01 meter to deny Johnson of a sweep in the throws. Freshman Dakota Oxendine won the high jump, preventing Samford's Keyth Fightmaster from winning his fourth career title.

Furman and Samford won three titles each Sunday, with Frank Lara's win in the 5,000-meter run complementing Adams' wins for the Paladins. In addition to Tait's win in the 110-meter hurdles, Michael McMahan won the 400-meter hurdles for the Bulldogs. Samford's final win was its most exciting, as Warren Fitzpatrick ran down Caleb Albrecht on the final leg of the 4x400-meter relay to give the Bulldogs the win in 3:15.153, just 0.001 second ahead of the Catamounts' unit. Samford's win stopped an eight-year run for Western Carolina in the event.

The Citadel also had a pair of wins Sunday, as the Bulldogs claimed the 4x100-meter relay for the second straight year and saw Josiah Johnson defend his title in the 100-meter dash. Wofford's Conrad Heinrich won his second straight decathlon.

Samford's women won five events Sunday, as Johnston's two wins and Nelson's victory were complemented by Charlotte Krause's win in the high jump and Sarah Sanford's win in the 400-meter hurdles. Wofford's Lust and Dean accounted for the Terriers' four event wins, while Mercer (both relays), Furman and Western Carolina had two each. Krissy Gear (800-meter run) and Gabbi Jennings (5,000-meter run) won for the Paladins, while Kellsie Whitehead (400-meter dash) and Makaila McIntyre (triple jump) did for the Catamounts.

Samford's Amanda Dumar and Western Carolina's Miles Greer won the Pinnacle Awards for having the highest GPA on the championship-winning teams.

Men's results – Final
1. Western Carolina – 186 points
2. Samford – 169
3. ETSU – 136
4. Wofford – 91
5. Furman – 88
6. The Citadel – 74
7. VMI – 65
8. UNC Greensboro – 5

Women's results – Final
1. Samford – 228 points
2. Wofford – 126
3. Western Carolina – 119
4. ETSU – 100
5. Furman – 91
6. Mercer – 70
T7. VMI – 31
T7. The Citadel – 31
9. Chattanooga – 15
10. UNC Greensboro – 8

Men's Most Outstanding Athlete
Ben Johnson, ETSU

Women's Most Outstanding Athlete
Maggie Johnston, Samford

Men's Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Miles Greer, Western Carolina

Women's Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Amanda Dumar, Samford

Day 2 champions
Men: Decathlon Conrad Heinrich, Wofford (6,574 points); shot put Dakota Wright, Western Carolina (16.79 meters); triple jump Dijoun Huitt, Western Carolina (15.42 meters); 4x100-meter relay Timiebi Ogobri, Josiah Johnson, Trey Richardson, Jacquary Bradford, The Citadel (40.71); 1,500-meter run Ryan Adams, Furman (3:48.15); 110-meter hurdles Emmanuel Tait, Samford (14.15); 400-meter dash Devaniel Dale, Western Carolina (46.55); 100-meter dash Josiah Johnson, The Citadel (10.50); 800-meter run Ryan Adams, Furman (1:50.50); discus Ben Johnson, ETSU (54.53 meters)*; 400-meter hurdles Michael McMahan, Samford (52.47); 200-meter dash Devaniel Dale, Western Carolina (20.86); high jump Dakota Oxendine, Western Carolina (2.12 meters); 5,000-meter run Frank Lara, Furman (14:40.63); 4x400-meter relay Jordan Woodbine, Jordan Oballe, Michael McMahan, Warren Fitzpatrick, Samford (3:15.16).

Women: Heptathlon Amber Lust, Wofford (5,005 points); high jump Charlotte Krause, Samford (1.69 meters); discus Maggie Johnston, Samford (51.40 meters)*; 4x100-meter relay Cherrish Wright, Lauryn Dancy, Kennedi Weston-Shields, Tessola Duncan, Mercer (45.71); 1,500-meter run Karisa Nelson, Samford (4:18.52)*; 100-meter hurdles Amber Lust, Wofford (13.68); 400-meter dash Kellsie Whitehead, Western Carolina (55.23); 100-meter dash McLeod Dean, Wofford (11.57); 800-meter run Krissy Gear, Furman (2:09.80); 400-meter hurdles Sarah Sanford, Samford (1:01.91); shot put Maggie Johnston, Samford (14.35 meters); 200-meter dash McLeod Dean, Wofford (23.56); triple jump Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina (12.22 meters); 5,000-meter run Gabbi Jennings, Furman (16:36.05); 4x400-meter relay Tessola Duncan, Kennedi Weston-Shields, Marion Meadows, Madison Mueller, Mercer (3:47.27).

* meet record

Men's all-freshman – Day 2
Decathlon
Max Burke, VMI

Shot put
Adam Hart, Western Carolina
Ryan Eldridge, Western Carolina
Jonathan Toole, The Citadel

Triple jump
Blaine Ashton, VMI
Benjamin Okafor, Western Carolina
Brandon Harvey, Samford

1,500-meter run
Colin Alexander, UNCG
Noah Dolhare, Furman
Dylan Haines, VMI

110-meter hurdles
Titus Moore, Samford
Keefe White, The Citadel

400-meter dash
Jordan Woodbine, Samford
Elijah Bull, Wofford
Blaine Ashton, VMI

100-meter dash
Titus Moore, Samford
Jordin Poindexter, VMI
Chris Ferrill, VMI

800-meter run
Seth Corey, Samford
Nicholas Thoma, UNCG
Jake Maddox, Samford

Discus
Adam Hart, Western Carolina
Kolin Miller, ETSU
Zachary Fejeran, ETSU

400-meter hurdles
Elijah Bull, Wofford
Keefe White, The Citadel

200-meter dash
Jordin Poindexter, VMI
Blaine Ashton, VMI

High jump
Dakota Oxendine, Western Carolina
Justin Stuckey, Samford
Gavin Jenkins, VMI

5,000-meter run
Daniel Bernal, Furman
Andre Jordan, VMI
Seth Bowden, ETSU

Women's all-freshman – Day 2
Heptathlon
Shakaiya Bradford, Wofford
Carolina Huff, Samford

High jump
Megan Elliott, Samford
Ronje Williams, Western Carolina
Mya Dollard, The Citadel

Discus
Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina

1,500-meter run
Kate Mattison, Western Carolina
Chandler McCaslin, UNCG
Siena Gates, Western Carolina

100-meter hurdles
Destiny Shippy, Wofford
Shakaiya Bradford, Wofford
Ronje Williams, Western Carolina

400-meter dash
Kennedi Weston-Shields, Mercer
Vada Samuels, Samford
Marissa Blakely, Western Carolina

100-meter dash
Mekayla Brown, ETSU
Ingrid Joseph, VMI
Destiny Shippy, Wofford

800-meter run
Genevieve Schwarz, ETSU
Guilia Giorgi, Mercer

400-meter hurdles
Britney Griffith, ETSU
Peyton Wood, Western Carolina

Shot put
Shakaiya Bradford, Wofford
Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina

200-meter dash
Johnaida Eliscar, ETSU
Marissa Blakely, Western Carolina
Ahliyah Williams, VMI

Triple jump
Mekayla Brown, ETSU
Chandler Robinson, Wofford

5,000-meter run
Ashley McMahon, Mercer
Jamie Blaylock, Western Carolina
Kate Mattison, Western Carolina

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