LEXINGTON, Va. – Samford won its seventh straight women’s title and its third consecutive men's title Sunday at the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at VMI's Corps Physical Training Facility. VMI’s Jordin Poindexter earned the Heath Whittle Award as the men's Most Outstanding Athlete and Western Carolina’s Makaila McIntyre earned the women's Most Outstanding Athlete award.
Three meet records fell Sunday, bringing the total to six for the weekend.
The Samford women battled ETSU late into the afternoon before pulling away, finishing with 161.5 points to become just the second women’s program to win seven SoCon indoor titles in a row, joining former member Appalachian State, who did it twice (1988-94, 2001-07). ETSU’s runner-up finish was its second in four seasons and its 146.5 points were the most it has ever scored at the SoCon indoor meet.
Western Carolina finished third with 107.5 points, followed by Wofford in fourth with 104. Furman was fifth with 92, followed by VMI (20.5), The Citadel (19), Chattanooga (10) and UNCG (2).
On the men’s side, Samford piled up points in the field events to run away from the field, surpassing 200 points at the SoCon indoor meet for the first time in totaling 206.5. Western Carolina was a distant second with 117 points, with VMI using a win in the final men’s event of the day, the 4x400-meter relay, to pass Furman for third and finish with 90.
The Paladins were fourth with 84 points, followed by ETSU (74), The Citadel (48.5), Wofford (38) and UNCG (2).
Poindexter claimed a trio of wins Sunday to earn Most Outstanding honors, winning the 60-meter dash (6.74 seconds) and 200-meter dash (21.41) and running the second leg on the Keydets’ victorious 4x400-meter relay. McIntyre had a pair of wins and a pair of runner-up finishes to total 30 points on the weekend, as she claimed the long jump on Saturday and the triple jump on Sunday (12.32 meters) and finished second in the 60-meter dash and as part of the Catamounts’ 4x400m relay.
Furman’s Cameron Ponder turned in the first sub-4:00 mile in SoCon Indoor Championship history, finishing in 3:59.75 to shave nearly three seconds off the record he set last year. Samford’s Ty Kimberlin also surpassed his own 2021 record in the heptathlon with a meet-record 5,395 points, winning four of the seven events and finishing second in the others. On the women’s side, Furman’s Megan Marvin defended her 800-meter run title in a meet-record time of 2:05.68, coming in under the 2:06.10 that Karisa Nelson ran for Samford in 2019.
In addition to Ponder, Kimberlin and Marvin, ETSU’s Genvieve Schwarz and Nicole Johnson, Furman’s Madelynne Cadeau and Wofford’s Kerrington Johnson successfully defended 2021 titles Sunday. Schwarz’s strong kick led her to the win in the mile in 4:51.72, while the Bucs’ Johnson won the 60-meter dash in 7.52 seconds. Cadeau turned in a time of 16:43.03 to win the 5,000-meter run for the second time and Wofford’s Johnson edged teammate Destiny Shippy in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.48 seconds.
After opening day two with just an eight-point lead in the team race, Samford made a big move in the first men’s event to go final Sunday, the weight throw. The Bulldogs saw Seth Wolfe and Matt Cahoon finish 1-2 and the Catamounts pick up an eighth-place finish to net 17 points for Samford and extend the team lead to 25 points. Wolfe’s win was a dominant one, as his throw of 19.71 meters was more than 2 meters better than Cahoon’s 17.50m effort.
The Bulldogs delivered another big blow when the heptathlon results went final, as they swept the top five spots to open up a 63-point gap over then-second-place Furman.
Samford would add two more titles on the day, with Michael McMahan claiming the 60-meter hurdles in 8.12 seconds and Jed Sisco winning the pole vault by clearing 5.20 meters. Landon Wright finished second in the 60-meter hurdles to join MaMahan on the podium, while three other Bulldogs scored in the pole vault to give them 18.5 points in the event.
Also claiming wins on Sunday were: Wofford’s Conor Murphy in the 400-meter dash (48.24 seconds), VMI’s Trent Whittaker in the 800-meter run (1:51.02), Western Carolina’s Javell Brown in the triple jump (15.46 meters) and ETSU’s Adam Bradtmueller in the 5,000-meter run (14:08.18).
Contrary to the men’s team race, the Samford women opened the day with a large lead, only to see most of it evaporate.
ETSU got a big chunk of points back in the 60-meter dash, with Nicole Johnson’s win pacing three Bucs in the field, who combined for 17.5 points. Samford did not have a runner in the final of that event, as ETSU closed what had been a 45.5 day-one lead to just 25 points.
The Bucs pulled within 11 points at 131.5-120.5, as four Bucs combined to score 17 points in the 800-meter run to overcome Katie Strozier’s second-place finish. ETSU pulled even closer when the 200-meter run went final, netting three points in the event on the strength of Nicole Johnson’s third-place finish to creep within eight points at 134.5-126.5.
The Bulldogs got the breathing room they needed when the high jump went final, as Samford totaled 22 points and ETSU just two in the event. Samford got podium finishes from Savanah Schmidt and Makenzie Hooton behind champion Netanya Linares of Wofford, who cleared 1.64 meters.
Western Carolina’s Mekyll Robinson won the 400-meter dash in 56.72 seconds, while Wofford’s Madeline McNinch claimed the 200-meter dash in 24.52, just ahead of Robinson and 2021 winner Nicole Johnson of ETSU.
Samford’s Hannah Daffin won the weight throw with a toss of 18.61 meters on her final throw of the day.
ETSU closed out the meet with an exciting win in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:53.96.
Samford’s Harrison Siegel won the men’s Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete with the top grade point average on the winning team, while the Bulldogs’ Erin Long won the women’s Pinnacle Award.
The NCAA will announce the field for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on NCAA.com on Tuesday. The meet will be held at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.
Men’s results – Final
1. Samford – 206.5 points
2. Western Carolina – 117
3. VMI – 90
4. Furman – 84
5. ETSU – 74
6. The Citadel – 48.5
7. Wofford – 38
8. UNCG – 2
Women’s results – Final
1. Samford – 161.5 points
2. ETSU – 146.5
3. Western Carolina – 107.5
4. Wofford – 104
5. Furman – 92
6. VMI – 20.5
7. The Citadel – 19
8. Chattanooga – 10
9. UNCG – 2
Heath Whittle Award (Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete)
Jordin Poindexter, VMI
Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina
Men’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Harrison Siegel, Samford
Women’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Erin Long, Samford
Day 2 champions
Men: Weight throw Seth Wolfe, Samford (19.71 meters);
mile Cameron Ponder, Furman (3:59.75*);
60-meter hurdles Michael McMahan, Samford (8.12);
60-meter dash Jordin Poindexter, VMI (6.74);
heptathlon Ty Kimberlin, Samford (5,395 points*);
400-meter dash Conor Murphy, Wofford (48.24);
800-meter run Trent Whittaker, VMI (1:51.02)
triple jump Javell Brown, Western Carolina (15.46 meters);
pole vault Jed Sisco, Samford (5.20 meters);
200-meter Jordin Poindexter, VMI (21.41);
5,000-meter run Adam Bradtmueller, ETSU (14:08.18);
4x400-meter relay Jeremiah Wilks, Jordin Poindexter, Richard Edwards, Johnnie Walker, VMI (3:17.13).
Women: Triple jump Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina (12.32 meters);
mile Genevieve Schwarz, ETSU (4:51.72);
60-meter hurdles Kerrington Johnson, Wofford (8.48);
60-meter dash Nicole Johnson, ETSU (7.52);
400-meter dash Mekyll Robinson, Western Carolina (56.72);
800-meter run Megan Marvin, Furman (2:05.68*);
200-meter dash Madeline McNinch, Wofford (24.52);
high jump Netanya Linares, Wofford (1.64 meters);
weight throw Hannah Daffin, Samford (18.61 meters);
5,000-meter run Madelynne Cadeau, Furman (16:43.03);
4x400-meter relay Hannah Burkhart, Johnaida Eliscar, Lindsay Cooper, Jessica Lord, ETSU (3:53.96).
* meet record
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Men’s weight throw
None
Men’s mile
Foster Wilfong, Furman
Casey Burr, Furman
Colin Keck, UNCG
Men’s 60-meter hurdles
Xander Topos, VMI
Grant Witherspoon, Wofford
Men’s 60-meter dash
Tyke Tabor, Samford
Nolan Johnson, ETSU
Cameron Dalton, Wofford
Men’s heptathlon
Damian Hines, Samford
Isaiah Blount, VMI
Ben Kendall, Wofford
Men’s 400-meter dash
Richard Edwards, VMI
Jackson Casey, Wofford
Benedikt Strack, ETSU
Men’s 800-meter run
Caleb Scheffler, Samford
John Davis, Western Carolina
Mason Brandon, ETSU
Men’s triple jump
Ian Jones, Samford
Owen Barr, Western Carolina
Charles Male, VMI
Men’s pole vault
None
Men’s 200-meter dash
Jeremiah Wilks, VMI
Tyke Tabor, Samford
Cameron Dalton, Wofford
Men’s 5,000-meter run
Justin Hayes, Western Carolina
Will Mitchell, Western Carolina
Nick Goldstein, Furman
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 2
Women’s triple jump
Tya Blake, ETSU
Kesley Martin, Samford
Women’s mile
Meghan Ford, Furman
Bella Manfre, UNCG
Serena Henderson, UNCG
Women’s 60-meter hurdles
Amiel Dabney, Samford
Ant'wonike Jennings, ETSU
Marga Van Der Linde, Wofford
Women’s 60-meter dash
Eleyah Armstrong, VMI
Liyah Nelson, Samford
Amiel Dabney, Samford
Women’s 400-meter dash
Ayden Drake, Samford
Kelsey Martin, Samford
Women’s 800-meter run
Callie Harper, Furman
Gretal Shank, VMI
Mary Claire Ridgeway, Wofford
Women’s 200-meter dash
Amiel Dabney, Samford
Kelsey Martin, Samford
Liyah Nelson, Samford
High jump
Abbey King, ETSU
Women’s weight throw
Taniyah Thomas, Western Carolina
Women’s 5,000-meter run
Sierra Bower, Furman
Alesea Caldwell, Western Carolina
Carolyne Shealy, Wofford
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