LEXINGTON, Va. – Western Carolina’s men and Samford’s women lead the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships after Saturday’s first day of competition at the VMI Corps Physical Training Facility.
 
The squads posted identical scores of 58.5 points Saturday, each picking up a pair of individual titles. The Catamounts lead defending champion Samford by 17.5 points, while Furman’s men sit third with 36 points, five back of the Bulldogs.
 
The Samford women made up ground late in the day to pass second-place Wofford, which totaled 46 points on day one. Western Carolina is third with 43.
 
Samford’s Matt Cahoon opened the team scoring with his second straight title in the shot put, which he earned with a throw of 15.85 meters. Western Carolina claimed the next four spots, with Mac Bennett (second) and Jay Stanley (third) joining Cahoon on the podium as the Catamounts bolted out to a 23-11 team lead over Samford.
 
Junior Charles Cooley collected the Catamounts’ first gold medal of the day, winning the pole vault by clearing 4.85 meters. A pair of Citadel Bulldogs followed him in second and third with marks of 4.70m, with 2020 champion Sam Blumer finishing as runner-up.
 
The Catamounts and Bulldogs dominated the long jump, with senior Shon Pratcher leaping 7.25 meters to become the third different Western Carolina jumper to win the event in as many years. Teammates Brandon Harvey and Tyler Rodriguez finished fourth and fifth, respectively, as the Catamounts nabbed 19 points in the event, but Samford wasn’t far off the pace. Ty Kimberlin and Justin Stuckey finished second and third, respectively, and freshman Edwin Rainey was eighth as the Bulldogs banked 15 points in the team race.
 
ETSU’s Matt Scarr staved off a quintet of Furman Paladins behind him to win the 3,000-meter run in 8:24.38. Furman’s Noah Dolhare and Mason Coppi joined him on the podium as the Paladins collected 26 points in the event.
 
The Paladins picked up a win in the final event of the day, the men’s distance medley relay. Carson Williams, Evin McEntee, Nick Epstein and Daniel Bernal teamed up to run 10:08.90 for another 10 team points as Furman stands third after day one on the strength of just two events. Samford netted five points on Western Carolina in the event, finishing second.
 
On the women’s side, Wofford senior Megan Dunn got the day going by winning her second straight pentathlon title and was joined on the podium by teammate and runner-up Netanya Linares. Dunn totaled 3,604 points, highlighted by a win in the shot put (10.83 meters) and a second-place finish in the long jump. Samford freshman Mia Milasinovic finished third to pace a group of three Bulldogs who scored in the event.
 
The Terriers extended their team lead when the long jump went final, as Georgia McDevitt and Madeline McNinch finished second and third, respectively, behind champion Makaila McIntyre of Western Carolina, who turned in a leap of 5.99 meters. With 36 team points at the end of the first two scored events, Wofford was well out in front of Samford (17) and Western Carolina (16).
 
Both squads closed ground in the shot put with Bulldog sophomore Hannah Daffin winning with a throw of 14.10 meters and Western Carolina’s Lesleigh Tabor and Victoria Solheim finishing second and fourth, respectively.
 
Samford’s big move up the leaderboard came in the final women’s field event of the day, the high jump. The Bulldogs claimed 24.5 points in the event, highlighted by Megan Elliott’s win (1.65m) and teammate Makenzie Hooton’s third-place finish.
 
Furman’s women made their mark in the 3,000m, with five Paladin freshmen combining for 28 points, including a podium sweep from Madelynne Cadeau, Bethany Graham and Jonna Strange. Cadeau’s win was Furman’s third in the event in four years.
 
Like their male counterparts, the Furman women scored all of their points in two events Saturday, adding a win in the distance medley relay to their total. Emma Kuntz, Nicole Matysik, Megan Marvin and Beth Donnelly combined to claim the Paladins’ fifth straight title in the event.
 
The SoCon Championships resume Sunday with the resumption of the heptathlon at 9 a.m.
 
Live results, daily recaps and photos can be found at SoConSports.com. Day two will air on ESPN+ starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
 
Men’s results – Day 1
1. Western Carolina – 58.5 points
2. Samford – 41
3. Furman – 36
4. The Citadel – 24.5
5. ETSU – 16
6. VMI – 7
7. Wofford – 7
8. UNCG – 5
 
Women’s results – Day 1
1. Samford – 58.5 points
2. Wofford – 46
3. Western Carolina – 43
4. Furman – 38
5. ETSU – 31.5
6. VMI – 10
7. Chattanooga – 4
8. The Citadel – 3
9. UNCG – 0
 
Day 1 champions
Men: Shot put Matt Cahoon, Samford (15.85 meters); pole vault Charles Cooley, Western Carolina (4.85m); long jump Shon Pratcher, Western Carolina (7.25 meters); 3,000-meter run Matt Scarr, ETSU (8:24.38); distance medley relay Carson Williams, Evin McEntee, Nick Epstein, Daniel Bernal, Furman, 10:08.90.
 
Women: Pentathlon Megan Dunn, Wofford (3,604 points); long jump Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina (5.99 meters); shot put Hannah Daffin, Samford (14.10 meters); 3,000-meter run Madelynne Cadeau, Furman (9:31.01); high jump Megan Elliott, Samford (1.65 meters); distance medley relay Emma Kuntz, Nicole Matysik, Megan Marvin, Beth Donnelly, Furman (11:44.17).
 
Men’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Men’s shot put
Marshall Gainer, Samford
Andrew Grainger, VMI
 
Men’s pole vault
Landon Wright, Samford
Sebastian LaTorre, Wofford
Jed Sisco, Samford
 
Men’s long jump
Christopher Sheppard, Wofford
Edwin Rainey, Samford
Jayden Napier, VMI
 
Men’s 3,000-meter run
None
 
 
Women’s All-Freshman – Day 1
Pentathlon
Mia Milasinovic, Samford
Erin Long, Samford
Imani Boyd, Western Carolina
 
Women’s long jump
Madeline McNinch, Wofford
Aiya Finch, Samford
Omare McBride, Western Carolina
 
Women’s shot put
Jenna Kirkland, VMI
 
Women’s 3,000-meter run
Madelynne Cadeau, Furman
Bethany Graham, Furman
Jonna Strange, Furman
 
Women’s high jump
Imani Boyd, Western Carolina
Makenzie Hooton, Samford
Savannah Schmidt, Samford