Results
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Texas State men and Arkansas State women took home the 2019 Sun Belt Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship team titles on Sunday at the A-State Track and Field/Cross Country Complex on the campus of Arkansas State.
The Bobcats claimed the men's title with 122.5 points, besting host A-State by 5.5 points. It is Texas State's first outdoor track and field title as a member of the Sun Belt. The Bobcats were the runner-up in both 2017 and 2018.
A-State's women tallied 155 points to take home the team title and had the title wrapped up prior to the women's 5,000-meters. The 155-point total is the second highest for A-State in school history. The title also snapped a string of runner-up finishes for the Red Wolves. Since 2014, the Red Wolves have finished third or better - winning the title in 2015.
Texas State's Tramesha Hardy was named the women's top meet scorer. Hardy won the 200-meters, finished second in the 100-meters and was on the runner-up 4x400 relay team and the third place finishing 4x100 relay team for a total of 21.5 points in her four events.
UTA's Justin Domangue was the men's top meet scorer for the second consecutive season. He finished third in the 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters and was the runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He earned 20 total points over three days running in the three longest races at the meet.
On the track, the A-State women got off to a blistering start with the 4x100-meter relay setting a school and Championship record. Kerra Williams, Caitland Smith, Jonae Cook and Osereme Erewele sprinted to a time of 44.70 seconds, 25th-fastest in the NCAA West Region and 57th-nationally, for both an A-State program record and Sun Belt Outdoor Championship record. The Sun Belt record had stood since 2005.
Additionally, A-State's Emma Nwofor took home first place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.63 seconds to complete the season sweep of the hurdles. Nwofor won the 60-meter hurdles indoors. Nwofor's teammate, Caitland Smith, then raced to the 100-meter dash title in 11.25 seconds while finishing second in the 200-meter at 23.25 seconds.
The Bobcats rallied on Sunday after entering the day 15 points behind the leader, Louisiana, by claiming the top three spots in the men's discus throw to begin their comeback. Brandon Busby won the event for the Bobcats with Bobby Smith finishing second and T'Mond Johnson placing third.
A-State pulled ahead on the men's side after the men's 100-meter dash and held the lead until the men's 400-meter hurdles. Texas State's Michale Reyes finished third in the event to give the Bobcats a 1.5-point lead which was extended to 2.5 heading into the final event of the night, the 4x400-meter relay.
Texas State only needed to finish ahead of the Red Wolves to secure the title. The Bobcats placed fourth while A-State finished seventh, giving the Bobcats the 2019 team crown.
Athletes ranked in the top 48 of their respective event in either the East or West will head on to the NCAA Preliminary qualifiers. The University of North Florida will host the East Preliminary while Sacramento State University will host the West Preliminary. Both meets will take place from May 23-25.
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for June 5-8, 2019 and will be hosted by the University of Texas at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Record Breakers
There were four records broken on Sunday at the Championship stating with South Alabama's Sean Collins. The senior claimed his fourth consecutive men's pole vault title in exciting fashion, breaking his own Sun Belt Championship record with a clearance of 5.53m (18'1.75"). His previous record was set in 2016 when he cleared 5.51m.
UT Arlington's Erik Martinsson also reset his own Championship record in the 800-meters. The UTA senior finished with a time of 1:47.99, just a half a second off a new Sun Belt season record. It was also his third consecutive 800-meter title at the Sun Belt Championship.
Two relay teams also reset Championship records - Arkansas State women's 4x100-meter relay (44.70) and Troy women's 4x400-meter relay (3:38.43).
Men's Top Meet Scorer
Justin Domangue, UTA - 20 points
Women's Top Meet Scorer
Tramesha Hardy, Texas State - 21.5 points