Gilmer, a sophomore from Mobile, Ala., registered a time of 4:04.40 in the Blue Shoes Elite Mile, which was held in conjunction with the Furman Invitational. He broke the school record that had stood for 35 years.

A junior from Winder, Ga., Gardner won both the shot put and discus at The Carolina's Cup, hosted by Winthrop University. His toss of 53' 11.25" in the shot put ranks first in the conference and fifth all-time at Appalachian State. His mark of 154' 5" in the discus is good for fourth place in the league rankings.

The Paladins return to action at the Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships April 24-25 in Boone, N.C. The Mountaineers host the Appalachian Invitational on Friday.

Other top track performers included:

Appalachian State's Alex Taylor, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C., who won the 800m at The Carolina's Cup. His time of 1:51.98 currently leads the league and qualified him for USATF Junior Nationals. Taylor also has the top time in the 1500m.

Chattanooga's Emmanuel Kirwa, a sophomore from Kapsabet, Kenya, who finished third in the invitational 3000m steeplechase at the University of Tennessee's Sea Ray Relays. Running in his first outdoor track meet in almost two years, Kirwa posted a personal-best time of 9:19.11.

Other top field performers included:

Samford's Michael Seaman, a sophomore from Bardstown, Ky., who took second in the pole vault at the Ole Miss Invitational with a mark of 16' 6.75".

Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
March 18 - Cavan Corcoran, Samford
March 25 - Brunson Miller, The Citadel
April 1 - Cameron Bean, Samford
April 8 - Cameron Bean, Samford
April 15 - Lee Gilmer, Furman

Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
March 18 - Christopher Castagno, The Citadel
March 25 - Matt Evans, Western Carolina
April 1 - Patrick Wells, Samford
April 8 - Cordell Livingston, Western Carolina
April 15 - Jerod Gardner, Appalachian State