2018 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships:
Championship Central | Results | Photos
Highlights: Men | Women
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The 2018 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships closed in the same fashion as it opened, with intrigue and drama, as the Arkansas State men and Texas State women captured team titles at Birmingham CrossPlex.
On the men’s side, Arkansas State claimed the title with 145 points. The Red Wolves were in a battle with UTA throughout the day and came out just on top over the Mavericks’ 143-point performance. On the women’s side, Texas State put up strong performances in compiling 135 points and outdistancing South Alabama in second place with 88.5 points.
The Bobcats’ run to the women’s title came on the strength of a rare quadruple-double accomplished by Tramesha Hardy. The Houston, Texas, native repeated as conference champion in the 60-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter and 4x400-meter relay events. She took the 400m first with a time of 54.39, came right back to win the 60m with a time of 7.50 and then put the exclamation point on her day as an individual with her win in the 200m with a time of 23.68. Hardy hit the track for the final time in the 4x400m relay and anchored her squad to a victorious time of 3:43.55, which was just .04 off from the championship record. She closed the day as the women’s top scorer with 32.5 points.
Kylah Smith added to Texas State’s run on the top of the medal stand, finishing first in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.45.
Arkansas State’s Jaylen Bacon put on his own show in the men’s competition. Bacon defended his titles in the 60m and 200m. His 60 time (6.62) was just .02 off the championship record in which he tied in Monday’s prelims. In the 200, the Eastover, S.C., native blew past the field to finish with a time of 21.02. Combined with his performance on the team’s 4x400 relay team, Bacon finished as the men’s top scorer with 21.5 points.
Appalachian State’s Ryan Hastings defended his title as well, in the men’s 800-meter run. This time he did it in record-breaking fashion, crossing the line with a time of 1:50.87 to top the previous record of 1:51.04 by UTA’s Emil Blomberg in 2015.
Speaking of the Mavericks, Joel Duren picked up his second gold medal in as many days, winning his second-straight men's mile title with a time 4:09.72. On the women’s side, Alexus Henry took home gold in the pentathlon with 3,895 points.
Next up, Sun Belt teams prepare for 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships set for March 8-9 in College Station, Texas.
2018 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
| MEN |
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Arkansas State |
145 |
| 2. |
UTA |
143 |
| 3. |
Texas State |
101 |
| 4. |
South Alabama |
76 |
| 5. |
Appalachian State |
73 |
| 6. |
Louisiana |
58 |
| 7. |
ULM |
50 |
| 8. |
Little Rock |
15 |
| WOMEN |
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Texas State |
135 |
| 2. |
South Alabama |
88.5 |
| 3. |
UTA |
85 |
| 4. |
Arkansas State |
82 |
| 5. |
Troy |
69 |
| 6. |
Appalachian State |
53.5 |
| 7. |
Coastal Carolina |
45 |
| 8. |
Georgia State |
43 |
| 9. |
Louisiana |
22 |
| 10. |
ULM |
15 |
| 10. |
Little Rock |
15 |
| 12. |
Georgia Southern |
10 |