2021 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships:
Championship Central | Results | Photos | Heat Sheets 

Birmingham, Ala. – Arkansas State leads both the men's and women's Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships after Day 1 at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The Red Wolves look to become the first program since 2004 to collect a repeat sweep of the Sun Belt when competition resumes Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

In women's action, A-State boasts a near 35-point lead entering the second day, leading Texas State, 66 to 31.5. The Red Wolves scored 18 points in the weight throw with Chastery Fuamatu (19.41m) and Grace Flowers (18.86m) finishing first and second. A-State had 16 points in the 5000m, 13 points in the long jump, 11 in the high jump and eight points with a second-place distance medley.

Texas State is third in the women's championship, led by Shelby Smith's top finish in the long jump (6.14m) and Katherine Stuckly's high jump title (1.81m). 

Carolien Millenaar, the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year, won the first race of the day for South Alabama with a 5000m time of 16:51.66.

Troy will enter the second day in third place with 19 points, but showed its strength in distance events, winning the distance medley relay with a time of 11:54.08 and pushing a meet-high three qualifiers into Tuesday's finals for both the mile run and 800m.

On the men's side, Arkansas State holds a 13-point margin over Texas State, 56 to 43, followed aby South Alabama (35), Louisiana (23) and UTA (23) through five events. 

Arkansas State capped the day with a win in the distance medley, with Gregoire Saury, Kobey Hill, Alejandro Vargas and Bennett Pascoe posting a 10:09.74 time. 

The Red Wolves also took first in the long jump with Carter Shell's 7.58m mark. 

Texas State's Brandon Busby claimed the weight throw title at 19.64m, South Alabama's Kyle Rademeyer captured first in the pole vault at 5.36m and UTA's Cole Klashinsky won the first men's running title of the championship with a 5000m time of 14:27.75.

Tuesday's action will begin with the completion of the men's heptathlon. On Monday, three heptathlon events saw new records.

Texas State senior Ben Collerton leads the Heptathlon through four events. He finished second in the long jump and shot put before leaping a meet-record 2.05m in the heptathlon high jump to take the lead. South Alabama freshman Ariel Atias also had a meet record in the heptathlon shot put, throwing a personal record 14.35m. Graham Collins of South Alabama, currently in second place, started the day with a 7.02 event record in 60m heptathlon.

ESPN+ will resume live coverage of the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at 2 p.m. CT.

 
2021 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships Standings

MEN
1. Arkansas State, 56 pts
2. Texas State, 43 pts
3. South Alabama, 35 pts
4. Louisiana, 23 pts
5. UTA, 18 pts
6. Little Rock, 12 pts
7.ULM, 7 pts

WOMEN
1. Arkansas State, 66 pts
2. Texas State, 31.5 pts
3. Troy, 29 pts
4. South Alabama, 20 pts
5. App State, 10 pts
5. Georgia State, 10 pts
7. ULM, 9 pts
8. UTA, 7pts
9. Little Rock, 6 pts
10. Georgia Southern, 5 pts
11. Louisiana, 1.5 pts