BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford captured the women’s championship, and Western Carolina earned its third straight men’s title on Saturday at the 2016 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. For the Bulldogs, it marks the program’s first indoor track and field championship.
Samford registered 216 points to win the women’s title. The Bulldogs were followed by runner-up WCU (164 points) and third-place ETSU (84.50 points). The Catamounts scored 183 points to win the men’s title. Samford (129 points) narrowly beat out VMI (126 points) for runner-up honors.
Furman junior Allie Buchalski garnered her second straight women’s most outstanding athlete award for contributing 30 points to the Paladins. Buchalski took first in the women’s mile on Saturday with a time of 4:51.84 followed by Karisa Nelson and Ansley Bos of Samford in second and third, respectively. She also ran away with the women’s 5,000-meter race with a time of 17:23.19.
On the men’s side, Catamount newcomer Jamie Brown racked up 24 points across the two days to claim the Heath Whittle Award, which honors the men’s most outstanding athlete.
Individually, the women were also headlined by WCU senior Tayla Carter, who placed first in the 60-meter dash with a blazing 7.43-second performance. The mark tied her own SoCon record from 2013, which she shares with Georgia Southern’s Nicole Brown.
Samford sophomore Arsène Guillorel had a historic day on the men’s side, shattering the SoCon men’s 5,000-meter record. His time of 13:55.73 broke the previous league record of 14:06.00, which was set in 1981 by ETSU’s Adrian Leek. It also set a facility record at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Samford’s Brandon Hazouri won the men’s mile run by clocking a time of 4:10.17, besting VMI senior Avery Martin (second) and defending-champion Troy Reeder from Furman (third) in the first track final of the day.
VMI junior Jordan White nabbed top honors in the weight throw, which was the first field final of the day. The Owensboro, Ky., native notched a 19.21-meter throw (63-0.25) – just shy of the SoCon record of 19.23 meters (63-1.25). WCU senior Jared Johnson and fellow Catamount Scott Peretin also claimed podium positions.
ETSU’s Mike Williams picked up a win for the Buccaneers in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 8.14 seconds. In the women’s 60-meter hurdles, Samford sophomore Sarah Sanford added 10 points for the Bulldogs by grabbing top honors with a time of 8.44 seconds.
ETSU junior Matthew Moore claimed the 60-meter dash title with a time of 6.79 seconds.
The men’s heptathlon wrapped up early in the afternoon. WCU senior Christian Carswell finished first with 4,998 points, leapfrogging ETSU’s Nathan Rivera in the overall standings in the 1,000-meter run. Carswell won the long jump and the pole vault en route to the title.
The afternoon continued with the 400-meter dash. ETSU’s Williams tallied his second victory of the day in the men’s race, stopping the clock at 48.39 seconds. Another Buccaneer, junior Katrina Seymour, won the women’s title with a time of 55.12 seconds.
In the 800-meter run, Samford’s Hazouri registered a time of 1:51.31 to claim first place on the men’s side. Chattanooga sophomore Maddison Melchionna ran a 2:12.38 to take top honors in the women’s race.
Next, WCU’s Carter (24.15 seconds) edged out Samford’s Kimberly Ruch (24.51 seconds) in the women’s 200-meter dash. VMI sophomore Greg Henderson posted the only time under 22 seconds in the men’s 200-meter dash (21.91 seconds) en route to first place.
A number of field events finished up later in the day. Samford’s Tray Oates won the men’s pole vault, while WCU senior David Johnson nabbed the men’s triple jump title. In the women’s weight throw, Catamount Hailey Cook took first place.
The meet concluded with the 4x400-meter relays. WCU won the men’s relay with a time of 3:18.31, and the Samford women capped a historic day by capturing first place on the women’s side with a time of 3:48.69.
Visit SoConSports.com for full coverage of the 2016 Indoor Track and Field Championships, including full results and highlights.
Final men’s team results:
1. Western Carolina – 183 points
2. Samford – 129
3. VMI – 126
4. ETSU – 101
5. Furman – 57
6. The Citadel – 35
7. Wofford – 28
8. UNCG – 3
Final women’s team results:
1. Samford – 216 points
2. Western Carolina – 164
3. ETSU – 84.50
4. Furman – 80
5. VMI – 50.50
6. Chattanooga – 34
7. Wofford – 20
8. UNCG – 9
9. The Citadel – 5
Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete (Heath Whittle Award)
Jamie Brown, Western Carolina, Fr.
Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete
Allie Buchalski, Furman, Jr.
Men’s All-Freshman Team – Day 2
Heptathlon
Draven Crist, Western Carolina
Levi Whitt, VMI
Conrad Heinrich, Wofford
Mile
Ryan Adams, Furman
James Broom, VMI
Owen Bailey, Samford
Weight throw
Dakota Wright, Western Carolina
Michael Fernandez, The Citadel
60-meter hurdles
Tyler Houston, ETSU
Conrad Heinrich, Wofford
Pole vault
Andrew Arlint, VMI
60-meter dash
Josiah Johnson, The Citadel
Quan Myers, VMI
400-meter run
Deondre Anderson, VMI
800-meter run
Joe Harbacevich, Wofford
Ryan Adams, Furman
Caleb Albrecht, Western Carolina
Triple jump
Jamie Brown, Western Carolina
Mikel Halim, ETSU
Yohana Koko, ETSU
5,000-meter run
Liam Brooks, Western Carolina
Ben Bryant, Samford
James Garst, ETSU
Women’s All-Freshman Team – Day 2
Mile
Haley Morris, Chattanooga
60-meter hurdles
Kyra Atkins, ETSU
Amber Lust, Wofford
Triple jump
Tamilia Wright, Western Carolina
Megan Meadow, Samford
Alanna Johnson, Western Carolina
60-meter dash
Mia Little, Western Carolina
BriAnna Adams, Western Carolina
Kiana Davis, ETSU
400-meter dash
Dasha Arnaut, Western Carolina
Sally Woerner, Western Carolina
200-meter dash
BriAnna Adams, Western Carolina
Kiana Davis, ETSU
Daijah White, Samford
Weight throw
Tatiana Taylor, Samford
Camille Caldwell, Samford
Simone Williams, Western Carolina
5,000-meter run
Kathleen Mansure, UNCG
Alexandria Forster, Wofford
Rebeka Fadgyas, Wofford
Note: All-conference honors are awarded to the top three finishers in each event.
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