Championship information page
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Samford’s men and women swept the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the third straight year Tuesday at Western Carolina’s Catamount Athletic Complex. Highlights of the day included Samford’s Cagan Campbell winning four gold medals and two meet records falling.
Samford’s men led by just 27 points after day one but finished with a 118-point margin of victory Tuesday, concluding with 251 points, their most ever at the SoCon Championship. Western Carolina finished second for the third straight season with 133 points, followed by VMI in third with 97.
The Bulldog women led by 46.5 points after day one and finished 86 ahead of runner-up Wofford, which finished second for the third time in the last four championships and scored 134 points, the most in program history. Western Carolina was third with 107.5 points.
Samford’s Campbell was named the men’s Most Outstanding Athlete after scoring 25 points via wins in the 200-meter dash (20.98 seconds), 400-meter dash (46.99), 4x100-meter relay (40.11) and 4x400-meter relay (3:13.81).
On the women’s side, VMI’s Eleyah Armstrong scored 27 points to take women’s Most Outstanding Athlete honors. Armstrong won the long jump, finished second in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor leg on the Keydets’ fifth-place 4x100-meter relay.
Samford’s Caleb Scheffler and Savannah Schmidt earned the Pinnacle Awards as the student-athletes with the highest GPAs on the championship-winning squads.
Samford’s men won nine of the 13 events contested Tuesday. Ty Kimberlin and Titus Moore broke meet records for the Bulldogs.
Kimberlin destroyed the existing mark in the decathlon, winning eight of the 10 events to total 7,233 points, easily surpassing the old mark of 7,040 set by Samford’s Brandon Bassett in 2011.
Moore broke his own mark in the 110-meter hurdles, blazing to a 13.87-second mark to drop 0.10 seconds off the record he set in 2021.
Also victorious for the Bulldogs were William Malcolm in the 100-meter dash (10.42), Landon Wright in the 400-meter hurdles (51.60) and Edwin Rainey in the triple jump, with his final leap of 15.55 meters good for gold. Wright’s win was Samford’s fourth straight in the 400m hurdles.
Campbell won Samford’s first-ever SoCon title in the 400m before adding the 200m title later in the day. Malcolm, Evan Brooks, Moore and Campbell combined to win the 4x100, while Brooks, Matthew Grigg, Tyke Tabor and Campbell capped the meet with the win in the 4x400.
The Citadel’s Solomon Ghosh successfully defended his title in the discus, winning his second straight crown with a toss of 53.28 meters).
Western Carolina won a pair of men’s titles Tuesday, starting with John Davis claiming the 1,500-meter run in 3:54.76 for the Catamounts’ first title in the event since 2006. Riley Center won the shot put with a heave of 14.50 meters.
The 800-meter run provided some of the best drama of the day, with the top four finishers all crossing the line within 0.46 seconds of each other. VMI’s Trent Whittaker earned the win by just 0.03 seconds over ETSU’s Miguel Parrilla, finishing in 1:50.20.
Adam Beucler won Furman’s seventh straight title in the men’s 5,000-meter run, winning in 14:36.36. Wofford’s Tanner Henry claimed the Terriers’ first men’s high jump title since 2004 with a leap of 2.05 meters.
On the women’s side, Samford claimed two individual titles Tuesday. Hannah Daffin defended her 2022 crown in the shot put with a throw of 13.77 meters, while freshman Dorsey Parker claimed the Bulldogs’ seventh straight title in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.71 meters. Teammate Erin Long joined her on the podium in second.
Wofford claimed four event wins Tuesday, with Kerrington Johnson involved in three of them. After leading off the Terriers’ victorious 4x100 relay, which won in 45.91 seconds, Johnson captured her third straight 100-meter hurdles title, turning in a time of 13:64 seconds. Later in the afternoon, she claimed her second career title in the 400-meter hurdles, winning in 1:01.13.
Johnson was joined on the winning relay by Ella Tennant, Rylee Jorgensen and Madeline McNinch as Wofford claimed the 4x100 for the third straight championship.
Netanya Linares won the heptathlon with 4,585 points, claiming four of the seven events and becoming Wofford’s third different winner in the last four championships.
Western Carolina claimed a trio of event wins Tuesday, starting with Nytrinitey Jenkins winning the Catamounts’ second straight title in the 400-meter dash, in 55.11 seconds. Freshman Jasmine Greene won the triple jump with a leap of 12.11 meters, leading a 1-2 WCU finish in the event, with Derica Currie finishing second. The Catamounts capped the meet with a win in the 4x400-meter relay, with Imani Boyd, Brianna Gayle, Jenkins and Shaneil Lysight combining to run 3:46.25.
The Citadel, ETSU and Furman claimed two wins each on the final day of the meet.
The Citadel’s Mecca Jackson swept the sprints, becoming the Bulldogs’ first-ever women’s champion in both the 100-meter dash (11.52) and 200-meter dash (23.68).
ETSU’s Jessica Lord won the 800-meter run in 2:08.68, becoming the first Buc to win the event since 1995. Mary Brown claimed the discus with a throw of 42.69 meters, bringing home ETSU’s first-ever gold medal in the event.
Furman continued its dominance in the middle distance and distance events, with Abigail Robertson becoming the third different Paladin in the last three championships to win the 1,500-meter run, turning in a time of 4:19.18. Kaylie Armitage won Furman’s eighth straight title in the 5,000-meter run, clocking 17:09.54, with Robertson finishing second.
Samford’s outdoor title sweep came on the heels of its indoor sweep in February, marking the third season the Bulldogs have swept both indoor and outdoor championships.
The NCAA Regional fields will be announced on Thursday, May 18, via press release at NCAA.com.
Men’s results – Final
1. Samford – 251 points
2. Western Carolina – 133
3. VMI – 97
4. ETSU – 91
5. The Citadel – 78
6. Furman – 70
7. Wofford – 65
8. UNCG – 21
Women’s results – Final
1. Samford – 220 points
2. Wofford – 134 points
3. Western Carolina – 107.5
4. ETSU – 104.5
5. Furman – 70
6. The Citadel – 65
7. VMI – 39
T8. Mercer – 31
T8. Chattanooga – 31
10. UNCG – 7
Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Cagan Campbell, Samford
Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Eleyah Armstrong, VMI
Men’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Caleb Scheffler, Samford
Women’s Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Savannah Schmidt, Samford
Day 2 champions Men: 4x100-meter relay William Malcolm, Evan Brooks, Titus Moore, Cagan Campbell, Samford (40.11);
decathlon Ty Kimberlin, Samford (7,233 points*);
1,500-meter run John Davis, Western Carolina (3:54.76);
110-meter hurdles Titus Moore, Samford (13.87*);
discus Solomon Ghosh, The Citadel (53.28 meters);
400-meter dash Cagan Campbell, Samford (46.99);
100-meter dash William Malcolm, Samford (10.42);
800-meter run Trent Whittaker, VMI (1:50.20);
400-meter hurdles Landon Wright, Samford (51.60);
high jump Tanner Henry, Wofford (2.05 meters);
200-meter dash Cagan Campbell, Samford (20.98);
5,000-meter run Adam Beucler, Furman (14:36.36);
shot put Riley Center, Western Carolina (14.50 meters);
triple jump Edwin Rainey, Samford (15.55 meters);
4x400-meter relay Evan Brooks, Matthew Grigg, Tyke Tabor, Cagan Campbell, Samford (3:13.81).
Women: Heptathlon Netanya Linares, Wofford (4,585 points);
shot put Hannah Daffin, Samford (13.77 meters);
4x100-meter relay Kerrington Johnson, Ella Tennant, Rylee Jorgensen, Madeline McNinch, Wofford (45.91);
1,500-meter run Abigail Robertson, Furman (4:19.18);
100-meter hurdles Kerrington Johnson, Wofford (13.64);
high jump Dorsey Parker, Samford (1.71 meters);
400-meter dash Nytrinitey Jenkins, Western Carolina (55.11);
100-meter dash Mecca Jackson, The Citadel (11.52);
800-meter run Jessica Lord, ETSU (2:08.68);
400-meter hurdles Kerrington Johnson, Wofford (1:01.13);
triple jump Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina (12.11 meters);
200-meter dash Mecca Jackson, The Citadel (23.68);
discus Mary Brown, ETSU (42.69 meters);
5,000-meter run Kaylie Armitage, Furman (17:09.54);
4x400-meter relay Imani Boyd, Brianna Gayle, Nytrinitey Jenkins, Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina (3:46.25).
* meet record
Men’s all-freshman – Day 2
Decathlon
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
1,500-meter run
Lane Prochaska, UNCG
Nate Hillis, ETSU
Matthew Martin, Western Carolina
110-meter hurdles
Treven McGhee, ETSU
Discus
Eli Penix, Samford
Logan Wagner, ETSU
Chase Edwards, Wofford
400-meter dash
Elias Barton, Western Carolina
Braxton White, ETSU
Thomas Stamper, Wofford
100-meter dash
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
D’Shawn Fletcher, ETSU
Skylar Woodard, Western Carolina
800-meter run
Conner Overly, ETSU
Will Berger, Wofford
Ethan Hearn, Wofford
400-meter hurdles
Jackson Olivo, Samford
Treven McGhee, ETSU
Jonny Sherwood, Western Carolina
High jump
Jack Mulvey, The Citadel
200-meter dash
Robert Hilsman, Wofford
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Skylar Woodard, Western Carolina
5,000-meter run
Evan Pena, UNCG
Luke Taylor, Furman
Owen Sharnas, The Citadel
Shot put
Eli Penix, Samford
Logan Wagner, ETSU
Chase Edwards, Wofford
Triple jump
Nathan Williams, Western Carolina
Joshuah Glyn-Williams, Western Carolina
Women’s all-freshman – Day 2
Heptathlon
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Presley Worf, Wofford
Shea Hart, VMI
Shot put
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
1,500-meter run
Carly Wilkes, Furman
Maddie Wheatcroft, Chattanooga
Leah Boyd, Chattanooga
100-meter hurdles
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Meg Coleman, Samford
High jump
Dorsey Parker, Samford
Maya Murchison, ETSU
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
400-meter dash
Grace Lueders, Samford
Heaven Hall, VMI
McKenna Boykin, ETSU
100-meter dash
Ella Tenant, Wofford
Brooklyn Kirksey, Samford
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
800-meter run
Reagan O’Quinn, UNCG
Clair Garrett, Furman
Meg Lance, ETSU
400-meter hurdles
Shaneil Lysight, Western Carolina
Meg Coleman, Samford
Presley Worf, Wofford
Triple jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Anaya Young, ETSU
Pria Pullin, Mercer
200-meter dash
Ella Tennant, Wofford
Heaven Hall, VMI
Grace Lueders, Samford
Discus
Claire Harrison, Samford
Ellie Sawicki, Wofford
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
5,000-meter run
Carly Wilkes, Furman
Gabbie Hoots, Samford
Chanelle Kruger, ETSU
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