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Day 1 of Outdoor Track and Field Championships complete
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – ETSU’s men hold a five-point lead over Samford and Samford’s women enjoy a healthy 40-point advantage after Saturday’s opening day of the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. Highlights included Wofford’s Hannah Steelman erasing a 13-year-old meet record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and ETSU’s Ben Johnson winning his third straight javelin title.
In the women’s team race, Samford scored 79 points on day one, putting it comfortably ahead of second-place Furman (39 points). Defending champion Western Carolina is third with 29 points, followed by The Citadel (25), Wofford (24), ETSU (18), UNC Greensboro (seven), Chattanooga (five) and VMI (four) and Mercer (four).
On the men’s side, ETSU leads after winning four events but Samford made up significant ground in the final event of the day, closing the gap with 15 points in the pole vault. The Bucs enter day two with 55 team points, followed by the Bulldogs with 50 and defending champion Western Carolina with 38. Furman is fourth with 28 points, all of which came in one event, followed by The Citadel (27), VMI (23), Wofford (11) and UNCG (two).
The Bulldogs won three of the six women’s finals on Saturday, all field events. Senior Tatiana Taylor successfully defended her 2018 title in the hammer throw, winning with a toss of 53.46 meters (175-05). Teammate Maggie Johnston joined her on the podium, finishing second, while Camille Caldwell (fourth) also scored.
Sophomore Tally Wilson won the pole vault with a jump of 3.78 meters (12-04.75), and teammate Jackie Barnes made it another 1-2 finish for the Bulldogs. Jayme-Claire Eubanks (fourth), Bekah Pfitzer (seventh) and Amanda Dumar (eighth) also scored in the event.
Freshman Emorie Long won the javelin with her first throw of the event, which traveled 39.49 meters (129-07). Selena Popp finished fifth as the Bulldogs totaled 63 of their 79 points in those three field events.
Makaila McIntyre prevented a Samford field sweep on the day with her win in the long jump, leaping 6.14 meters (20-01.75) to top runner-up Popp.
Wofford’s Steelman set a meet record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, defending her 2018 title in the event. She finished in 10:00.79 to smash the old mark of 10:07.54, set by SoCon Hall of Famer Shannon Wommack of Chattanooga in 2006. Furman’s Gabbi Jennings also came in under the old mark, finishing second in 10:06.25, while teammate Krissy Gear joined her on the podium in third.
All but one of Furman’s points came in just two events, as Furman opened the day with a podium sweep, claiming the top three spots in the women’s 10,000-meter run. Grace Dwyer won in 36:40.53, breaking away from teammates Emma Grace Hurley and Jennifer Stephenson on the final lap.
Furman’s men followed suit, going 1-2-3 in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Frank Lara made his move with two laps to go to win his second title in three years, finishing in 31:00.06. He was followed by fellow Paladins Luke Meade and Daniel Bernal. Mason Coppi was fifth as the Paladins banked 28 points in the event.
ETSU’s Johnson was a double winner Saturday, first claiming the title in the hammer throw with a heave of 59.89 meters (196-06), to finish more than four meters ahead of runner-up Dakota Wright of Western Carolina.
Johnson would go on to capture his third straight javelin title with a throw of 60.80 meters (199-06) to edge Samford’s Matt Cahoon, who was second with a throw of 60.17 meters (197-05). Johnson became the first three-time winner in the event since The Citadel’s Kris Kut won in 1997, 1998 and 2000.
The Bucs also got a win in the long jump from sophomore Karon Delince, who leapt 7.54 meters (24-09.00) to finish ahead of the Western Carolina trio of Trini Feggett, Shon Pratcher and Benjamin Okafor, who finished second, third and fourth, in that order.
ETSU won the final event on the track on the day, with Noah Charles claiming the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 9:12.91. Samford’s Ben Garner was the runner-up, edging VMI’s Gavin Jenkins. Ben O’Connor (fifth) and Zach Johnson (eighth) also scored for the Bucs.
Samford’s Hugh Duggan capped the day with a win in the pole vault, clearing 5.20 meters (17-00.75) to top runner-up Andrew Arlint of VMI by half a meter. The Citadel’s Sam Blumer finished third and Samford’s Hunter Schlatter was fourth.
Sunday’s action begins with the resumption of the men’s decathlon at 9 a.m. This year’s championship is free to the public. Live results, daily recaps, photos and video highlights can be found at SoConSports.com.
Men’s results – Day 1
1. ETSU – 55 points
2. Samford – 50
3. Western Carolina – 38
4. Furman – 28
5. The Citadel – 27
6. VMI – 23
7. Wofford – 11
8. UNC Greensboro – 2
Women’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 79 points
2. Furman – 39
3. Western Carolina – 29
4. The Citadel – 25
5. Wofford – 24
6. ETSU – 18
7. UNC Greensboro – 7
8. Chattanooga – 5
t9. VMI – 4
t9. Mercer – 4
Day 1 champions
Men: 10,000-meter run Frank Lara, Furman (31:00.06); hammer Ben Johnson, ETSU (59.89 meters); long jump Karon Delince, ETSU (7.54 meters); javelin Ben Johnson, ETSU (60.80 meters); 3,000-meter steeplechase Noah Charles, ETSU (9:12.91); pole vault Hugh Duggan, Samford (5.20 meters).
Women: 10,000-meter run Grace Dwyer, Furman (36:40.53); hammer throw Tatiana Taylor, Samford (53.46 meters); pole vault Tally Wilson, Samford (3.78 meters); javelin Emorie Long, Samford (39.49 meters); long jump Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina (6.14 meters); 3,000-meter steeplechase Hannah Steelman, Wofford (10:00.79)*.
* meet record
Men’s all-freshman – Day 1
10,000-meter run
Daniel Bernal, Furman
Seth Bowden, ETSU
Dalton Miles, UNCG
Men’s hammer
Kolin Miller, ETSU
Ethan Brown, Samford
Zachary Fejeran, ETSU
Men’s long jump
Trini Feggett, Western Carolina
Benjamin Okafor, Western Carolina
Titus Moore, Samford
Men’s javelin
Noah Shelton, ETSU
Men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase
Gavin Jenkins, VMI
Jeremiah Gaulding, VMI
Zach Johnson, ETSU
Men’s pole vault
Charles Cooley, Western Carolina
Daniel Walsh, VMI
Jonathan Lehe, Western Carolina
Women’s all-freshman – Day 1
10,000-meter run
Jamie Blaylock, Western Carolina
Mary Kellison Thorne, Samford
Women’s hammer
Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina
Stephanie Jones, VMI
Women’s pole vault
Carter Unger, Western Carolina
McKenna Dunn, VMI
Women’s javelin
Emorie Long, Samford
Shannon Ziccarello, The Citadel
Ellie Miller, VMI
Women’s long jump
Caroline Huff, Samford
Khiara White, ETSU
Chandler Robinson, Wofford
Women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase
Ashley McMahon, Mercer
Skylar Pierce, VMI