SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford claimed three of four Southern Conference men’s and women’s outdoor track and field athlete of the week honors, the conference office announced Wednesday. Titus Moore and Keyth Fightmaster took the men’s track and field honors, respectively, while Maggie Johnston earned the women’s field honor. Wofford’s Hannah Steelman was the women’s track winner.
Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches.
Samford competed at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic in Auburn, Alabama, on Friday and Saturday, with Moore running in a pair of events. The freshman from Macon, Georgia, finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.34 seconds, which is tied with teammate Emmanuel Tait for the top mark in the league so far this season. Moore also ran the 100-meter dash, finishing 27th in a time of 11.18 seconds.
The Bulldogs’ Fightmaster finished third in the high jump at the Tiger Track Classic, clearing 2.14 meters (6 feet, 10 3/4 inches) to match teammate Justin Stuckey for the top mark in the league this year. The redshirt senior from Calhoun, Georgia, who is a three-time SoCon champion in the event, added four inches to his season-best height and is tied for 25th on the NCAA East Region performance list. The weekly honor is the second of Fightmaster’s career and the first since March 18, 2015.
Also competing at the Tiger Track Classic, Johnston took second in the discus with a throw of 51.32 meters (168 feet, 4 inches), which is the best mark in the SoCon this season by 4.71 meters and ranks 20th on the NCAA East Region performance list. Johnston is the two-time defending SoCon champion in the event. The junior from Macon, Georgia, also claimed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 13.46 meters (44 feet, 2 inches), the second-best throw in the league this year, and took 10th in the hammer throw with a heave of 48.85 meters (160 feet, 3 inches). The weekly honor is the third in Johnston’s career and first since the 2017 season.
Wofford’s Steelman competed at the University of North Florida Invitational on Friday, winning the steeplechase in a school-record time of 9:52.71, nearly 1 minute, 44 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. That time not only leads the SoCon this season but it also No. 2 on the NCAA Division I performance list this year. Steelman, a sophomore from Orono, Maine, is the defending SoCon champion in the event, and her time from Friday is nearly 15 seconds better than the SoCon Championship record. The weekly award is the second of her outdoor career.
2019 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s track
March 20 Noah Charles, ETSU
March 27 Matt Scarr, ETSU
April 3 Aaron Templeton, Furman
April 10 Titus Moore, Samford
Men’s field
March 20 Ben Johnson, ETSU
March 27 Ben Johnson, ETSU
April 3 Solomon Ghosh, VMI
April 10 Keyth Fightmaster, Samford
Women’s track
March 21 Lindsey Stallworth, ETSU
March 27 Kennedy Thomson, Chattanooga
April 3 Gabbi Jennings, Furman
April 10 Hannah Steelman, Wofford
Women’s field
March 21 Simone Williams, Western Carolina
March 27 Amber Lust, Wofford
April 3 Tiffany Quick, VMI
April 10 Maggie Johnston, Samford
-www.SoConSports.com-