Pavan Tops Decathlon Field, Judelson Stamps Day Two with Steeplechase Win

Friday, May 15

Nacogdoches, TX

Stephen F. Austin

Southland Conference Championships

Pavan Tops Decathlon Field, Judelson Stamps Day Two with Steeplechase Win

5/15/2026 8:57:00 PM | Track & Field

Friday Results

SFA men take over lead, hold slim margin entering Championship Saturday; SFA women just 6.5 points back of leader

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Devon Judelson placed an emphatic stamp on Friday's championship festivities inside Homer Bryce Stadium with a dominant effort to win gold in the men's 3000m steeplechase. Earlier in the day, Samuel Pavan stood atop the decathlon podium following a personal-best effort across two days and Basia Mitchell continued her point-earning escapades for the Stephen F. Austin women at the 2026 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The SFA men took over the overall lead and are up a single point on UIW entering Saturday's final day of action. The SFA women are currently third, three points back of Northwestern State and 6.5 points off Lamar's lead.

As he rounded turn three to a roaring applause from teammates, Judelson's last 100 meters resulted in him winning the event by three seconds with a time of 9:04.16, the eighth-fastest such time in program history, to claim ten points, while teammate Zachary McPhee added five points with a fourth-place result in 9:10.95.

In the day's penultimate event of the women's 3000m steeple, Garance Dubray grabbed a podium spot with a third-place finish in 11:03.63 and teammate Leila Farda followed in fourth at 11:10.65 as the Jacks added 11 points in the event.

FRIDAY MULTI
Pavan posted a new personal-best effort in the decathlon with 7512 points. His gold medal performance was powered by a trio of second-place finishes in the 110mH (14.87), discus (45.20m) and pole vault (4.80m). He placed eighth in the javelin (44.53m) and seventh in the 1500m (4:47.03) as he beat silver medalist Mika Funck of Incarnate Word by 149 points.

Basia Mitchell earned the silver medal in the heptathlon and supplied eight points for SFA with a new personal-best total of 5452 points which is the second-highest accumulation in program history. Mitchell's Friday included an event win in the long jump (5.98m), a fourth-place effort in the 800m (2:28.17) and a tenth-place result in the javelin (30.39m).

FRIDAY FIELD
Brianna Bejar collected three points with a sixth-place finish in the women's triple jump with a mark of 11.52m.

The SFA men totaled six points in the shot put with Kason Reed placing fourth at 17.33m and Julian Tijerina grabbing the final point with an eighth-place effort of 16.44m.

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Following her effort in the heptathlon, Mitchell qualified for Saturday's 100mH with a time of 13.75.

In the women's 100m, Timiejha Furlow (11.66) and Kennedy Swann (11.68) posted the fifth and sixth fastest times to qualify for Championship Saturday.
Both Evaline Chepkoech (2:08.67) and Lauren Creaby (2:12.59) qualified for the women's 800m with top seven times on Friday evening. Chepkoech won heat four.

Keyshawn Garcia (1:52.13) and Pablo Lesarri (1:50.40) qualified for the men's 800m. Garcia won heat three with Lesarri claiming heat one.

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