SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Ryan Adams and Western Carolina’s Charles Cooley have been named the Southern Conference men’s indoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while ETSU’s Mekayla Brown and Wofford’s Megan Dunn claimed the honors on the women’s side, the conference office announced Wednesday.
 
Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches and included competition held Jan. 24-25.
 
Adams repeated as the men’s track athlete of the week, setting a new Furman record with a time of 7:49.45 in the 3,000-meter run at the Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge at the Armory Track in New York City on Saturday. The redshirt senior from Hudson, Ohio, finished second in the event by just 0.34 seconds and was the top collegiate finisher, turning in the top time in NCAA Division I this season. Adams knocked nearly 11 seconds off the previous school record of 8:00.07.
 
Cooley shared the title in the pole vault at the VMI Team Challenge on Saturday, clearing a personal-best height of 4.65 meters (15 feet, 3 inches) to help the Western Carolina men claim the team title for the second straight year. The sophomore from Morehead City, North Carolina, is tied for the second-best height in the league this season with his effort.
 
Brown also competed at the VMI Team Challenge on Saturday, finishing second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.59 seconds, the top time in the SoCon so far this season. The sophomore from Elgin, South Carolina, also took third in the triple jump with a leap of 11.91 meters (39 feet, 1 inch), the fourth-best mark in the league this year, helping the Bucs to a third-place team finish at the meet.
 
Dunn became Wofford’s second field winner in three weeks this season, winning the pentathlon at the Liberty Kickoff on Friday. The junior from Dorchester, Ontario, Canada, scored 3,529 points to best the other 13 performers in the field, finishing no worse than fifth in any of the five events. Dunn won the pentathlon 800-meter run with a time of 2:26.65 and added third-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump. She tied for fourth in the high jump and finished fifth in the shot put. Dunn’s overall score is the top mark in the SoCon this season and is tied for 41^st on the DI performance list.
 
 
2019-20 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s track
Jan. 16    Emmanuel Tait, Samford
Jan. 22    Ryan Adams, Furman
Jan. 29    Ryan Adams, Furman
 
Men’s field
Jan. 16    Matt Cahoon, Samford
Jan. 22    Justin Stuckey, Samford
Jan. 29    Charles Cooley, Western Carolina
 
Women’s track
Jan. 16    Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina
Jan. 22    McKenzie Hogue, Samford
Jan. 29    Mekayla Brown, ETSU
 
Women’s field
Jan. 16    Georgia McDevitt, Wofford 
Jan. 22    Sarah Leckman, VMI
Jan. 29    Megan Dunn, Wofford