SFA Track and Field in First Place at SLC Indoor Championships After Day One of Competition

Sunday, March 1

Birmingham, Ala.

ALL DAY

Stephen F. Austin

Southland Conference Indoor Championships

SFA Track and Field in First Place at SLC Indoor Championships After Day One of Competition

3/1/2020 9:40:00 PM | Track & Field

Full day one results

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The SFA track and field team opened up the 2020 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in strong fashion on Sunday, as both teams sit in first place after the opening day of competition thanks to a handful of individual champions. The women have a 22.75-point lead at 47.75 points, while the men's team is in first place with 36 points, three points ahead of Southeastern Louisiana for the top spot. Competition resumes tomorrow, with the remainder of events finishing up and culminating in the presentation of team trophies to the winning teams.

Branson Ellis set a new standard in the men's pole vault, finishing as the individual champion in the event with a clearance of 5.62m, a mark that set a new conference indoor record. Branson's effort was good enough for 10 points towards SFA's team total, while teammate Carter Scott's third-place finish at 5.06m netted another six points for the 'Jacks.

In the men's high jump, Asani Hilton took third overall with a mark of 2.08m to earn six points, while Noah Berney earned four more with a jump of 2.05m. Representing SFA in the men's weight throw was Trenton Bridges, who became the conference's individual champion with a mark of 19.12m to net 10 points.

In the men's heptathlon, Hilton sits atop the heptathlon leader board halfway through the events with 3033 points, while Berney is in seventh place with 2813 points.

AJ Bennett qualified for the finals in the 200m for the Lumberjacks, as he ran the event with a time of 21.24. Bennett also made the cut for the 400m finals, running to a time of 48.17 in the event. Parker Jones qualified for the finals in the men's mile run.

Qualifying for the finals in the women's 60m dash was Imani Nave with a time of 7.50. Nave also qualified for the finals in the 200m dash with a time of 24.08, and the 400m finals with a mark of 56.71, where she will be joined by Camille Singleton (57.20).

Brianna Nolen led a trio of Ladyjacks to qualify for the 800m run finals, as she paced the field with a time of 2:14.86. LaSean Davis (2:19.87) and Caitlin Lennon (2:18.62) also qualified for the finals of the event tomorrow. Kelsey Ramirez qualified for the finals in the mile run (5:06.30), along with teammate Rachel Taylor (5:09.95).

Taking home a bronze medal in the women's 5000m run was Claire Crone, who secured six points for the Ladyjacks with a time of 17:11.22. Davis and Ramirez joined Nissi Kabongo and Daijia Carr in the women's distance medley relay to take the gold medal, running a 12:04.03 to beat the runners-up by nine seconds.

In the women's pole vault, Kaylee Bizzell took home the gold medal with a clearance of 4.07m to secure ten points, while Skylar Hall scored for the Ladyjacks with a 3.42m, to tie for seventh with other vauters. Bellodgia Roberson scored fourth in the women's weight throw to earn five points for SFA reaching a mark of 16.97m, while Mallory Dotson scored a point with an effort of 16.04m.

In the pentathlon, Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon finished second with 3849 points, while Caitlin Lennon took sixth with 3722 points and Avery Ellis-Byerly, eighth with 3477. Coquillaud-Salomon also qualified for the women's 60m hurdle finals, taking the top qualifying mark at 8.66.