Day Two Results | Championship Central

LAFAYETTE, La. - The Arkansas State women continue to widen its lead at the Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 98 points through nine events, while the South Alabama men now feel pressure from A-State but maintained its lead in the team standings with 66 points through seven events heading into Championship Saturday.

The Red Wolves turned its 29-point first day lead over host Louisiana into a 51-point advantage after scoring big in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the shot put. A-State captured gold and silver in the pole vault (18 points) and added three more scorers in the steeplechase (16 points) to power its impressive day two of the championships.

South Alabama stayed in the top spot, but the Red Wolves made up some ground. The Jags’ 32-point lead after the first day dwindled to just 12 points, but was bolstered by a gold medal in the shot put and fifth-place finish in the decathlon. A-State scored 24 points between the long jump and shot put throw, taking gold and silver in the events, respectively.

After a fourth-place finish at last year’s championships, UTA’s Jade Bontke earned the first gold medal of the afternoon in the heptathlon after collecting 5,692 points – earning a first-place finish in an impressive five of seven events. Camryn Newton-Smith finished second in the event with 5,536 points and Nikki Boon of Coastal Carolina placed third (5,061).

Lucas Van Klaveren of UTA decided one wasn’t enough, and went back-to-back after capturing the decathlon by registering 7,625 points – a SBC Championships record – and finishing with a first-place mark in four of the 10 events. Louisiana’s Chandler Mixon finished second (7,055), and Texas State’s Simon Thor followed in third (6,863).

ULM took its first gold medal of the event in the women’s long jump, courtesy of Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi registering a 6.16 meter (20’ 2½”) effort to win the event. App State’s Taylor Smith earned silver after a 6.11 meter (20’ ½”) jump, and UTA’s Jade Bontke took home bronze with 6.08 meters (19’ 11½”). After just missing the podium last season, A-State’s Carter Shell won the men’s long jump with a 7.67 meter (25’ 2”) mark. Texas State’s Ronnie Briscoe Jr. finished second at 7.62 meters (25’) and App State’s Eric Haddock Jr. placed third with a 7.52 meter (24’ 8¼”) mark.

Texas State’s Katherine Stuckly claimed the women’s high jump event with a 1.79 meter (5' 10½") mark, edging out Bontke at 1.76 meters (5’ 9¼”) and Troy’s Maja Kuessner’s leap of 1.73 meters (5’ 8”).

Texas State’s Alyssa Wilson became the championship’s first multi-gold medal winner by registering a 16.67 meter (54’ 8¼”) toss in the shot put. South Alabama’s Colette Uys finished second with a 15.69 meter (51’ 5¾“) mark. Evangelynn Harris of A-State captured bronze in the event at 15.51 meters (50’ 10¾”).

After finishing with silver last season, South Alabama’s Sebastian Loschner claimed gold by tossing a 17.63 meter (57’ 10¼”) winner, while Willem Coertzen of A-State registered 17.41 meters (57’ 1½”). Troy’s Javon Osbourne finished third in the event with a mark of 17.35 meters (56’ 11¼”).

In the steeplechase, Georgia State’s Marine Garnier notched a personal-best time of 10:28.15, handing the Panthers its first gold medal of the championships. Garnier finished last season’s event with a third-place effort. Elizabeth Martin (10:40.12) of A-State finished second, and App State’s Karsyn Kane placed third in the event with a time of 10:56.39.

On the men’s side, A-State’s Bennett Pascoe sewed up a second consecutive steeplechase gold with a time of 8:55.91. App State took second and third place, boasting Ryan Brown (9:06.55) and Calbert Guest (9:11.71) landing the silver and bronze, respectively.

Championship Saturday will start with field events at 11:30 a.m. The women's 4x100 meter relay will be the first of the running events beginning at 4 p.m. The final event will start at 7 p.m. (men's 4x400 relay), and the award ceremony will follow that event.

2022 Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 13, 2022)

Men’s Team Scores (through seven events):

1. South Alabama (66)
2. Arkansas State (54)
3. UTA (39)
4. App State (29)
5. Texas State (28)
6. Troy (23)
7. Louisiana (18)
8. ULM (11)
9. Coastal Carolina (3)
10. Little Rock (2)

Women’s Team Scores (through nine events):

1. Arkansas State (98)
2. Texas State (47)
3. South Alabama (39.5)
4. UTA (39)
5. Louisiana (34)
6. ULM (23)
7. Coastal Carolina (17)
8. Troy (15.5)
9. Georgia State (15)
10. App State (14)
11. Little Rock (9)
12. Georgia Southern (0)