BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The South Alabama men and Texas State women lead the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, contested at the Birmingham CrossPlex, following the opening day of the event. 185 athletes recorded personal-bests at the event on Monday. 

The South Alabama men have totaled 47 points through five events. Arkansas State is in second place with 40.5 points, while Louisiana is in third with 32. The Texas State women have charted 34 points through five events. Arkansas State is in second with 33 points, while Coastal Carolina is in third with 25. 

The final day of the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships begins at 10 a.m. CT Tuesday. Running events and the ESPN+ broadcast commence at 1:30 p.m. CT. 

In the women’s 5,000 meter, Marshall senior Abby Herring shattered the previous meet record of 16:24.88 that was set in 2017 with a time of 16:06.64. Herring pulled away in the final stretch to finish atop the podium with a new personal-best time. Coastal Carolina’s Molly Jones finished second in 16:14.62.
 
Bradley Jelmert broke the men’s pole vault record that had stood since 1992. The Arkansas State junior cleared a height of 5.62m/18-5.25 to earn gold for the second consecutive year in the event. 2023 Outdoor National Champion Kyle Rademeyer from South Alabama earned the silver with a clearance of 5.42m/17-9.25.
 
The podium for the women’s weight throw featured three personal-best efforts from the athletes. Arkansas State’s Michelle Ogbemudia won gold with a mark of 21.12m/69-3.50. Elisabet Runarsdottir (Texas State) took second in the event with a distance of 20.80m/68-3. Earning bronze was South Alabama senior Bodine Degli-Umberti who hurled 20.37m/66-10.
 
The men’s long jump featured a personal-best podium appearance as well. Texas State sophomore Chris Preddie won gold with a distance of 7.47m/24-6.25. De’Aundre Ward from Southern Miss earned silver with a mark of 7.41m/24-3.75. ULM junior Algirdas Strelciunas recorded a personal-best distance of 7.40m/24-3.50 to earn bronze.
 
ULM junior Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, two-time Sun Belt Field Athlete of the Week, recorded a personal-best 6.04m/19-9.75 in the women’s long jump to finish atop the podium. Texas State’s Mathilde Canet finished second with 6.02m/19-9 as Georgia Southern’s Imani Moore took third in 5.95m/19-6.25.
 
The women’s pentathlon was decided in the 800, as four athletes were separated by less than 75 points. No athlete in the event won multiple events, as the 991 points in the 60-meter hurdles lifted ULM’s Claudine Raud-Gumiel to the top of the podium with 3,746 points. Coastal Carolina’s Ebba Hedberg finished in the top four in three events to earn silver with 3,722 points. Texas State’s Luize Opola won the shot put to win bronze with 3,716 points.
 
The men’s 5,000 meter saw Sacha Perrier from South Alabama win gold with a time of 14:30.39. Arkansas State junior Dawson Mayberry finished second in 14:31.55. South Alabama’s Xavier Johnson recorded a personal-best time of 14:32.41 to finish third in the event.
 
The women’s DMR came down to the final 200 as Arkansas State pulled away to win the event in 11:43.90. App State finished second in 11:47.73, as the Texas State relay team tallied a season-best 11:48.89 to earn third.
 
The men’s DMR featured lead changes throughout every exchange with ULM setting a new season-best time of 10:01.65 to capture gold. Louisiana finished second in 10:05.30 as Arkansas State earned the final podium position with a time of 10:07.15.

2024 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships (February 19, 2024)

Men’s Team Scores (through five events):
1. South Alabama (47)
2. Arkansas State (40.5)
3. Louisiana (32)
4. Southern Miss (26)
5. ULM (23.5)
6. Texas State (16)
7. Marshall (7)

Women’s Team Scores (through five events): 
1. Texas State (34)
2. Arkansas State (33)
3. Coastal Carolina (25)
4. ULM (23)
5. Marshall (20)
T6. App State (12)
T6. Georgia Southern (12)
T6. James Madison (12)
9. Troy (10)
10. South Alabama (6)
T11. Louisiana (4)
T11. Southern Miss (4)
13. Georgia State (0)

Men’s Heptathlon – First Four Events
1. Colby Eddowes (ARST), 3,296; 2. Sebastian Reyneke (USA), 3,274; 3. Easton Hammond (TXST), 2,943; 4. Federico Bovo (LA), 2,906; 5. Joseph McEvoy (ULM), 2,847; 6. Nic Glass (USA), 2,717; 7. Brylan Shirley (USA), 2,688; 8. Alden Wetzel (ARST), 2,531; 9. Luke Benoit (LA), 2,135; 10. Victor Petrov (TXST), 1,647.

Final Results


Women’s Weight Throw Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Michelle Ogbemudia (ARST), 21.12m/69-3.50; 2. Elisabet Runarsdottir (TXST), 20.80m/68-3; 3. Bodine Degli-Umberti (USA), 20.37m/66-10; 4. Utitofon Sam (TXST), 19.34m/63-5.50; 5. Zayna Fray-Samuel (CCU), 18.61m/61-0.75; 6. Rebecca Merritt (MAR), 18.51m/60-8.75; 7. Biniosa Ezukuse (TROY), 18.04m/59-2.25; 8. Carly Watts (TXST), 17.91m/58-9.25. 
 
Men’s Long Jump Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Chris Preddie (TXST), 7.47m/26-6.25; 2. De’Aundre Ward (USM), 7.41m/24-3.75; 3. Algirdas Strelciunas (ULM), 24-3.5; 4. Colby Eddowes (ARST), 7.28m/23-10.75; 5. Caleb Mabins (USA), 7.20m/23-7.5; 6. Montrell Morris (LA), 6.98m/22-10.75; 7. Giovonni Walker (TXST), 6.82m/22-4.50; 8. Stafon Roach (ULM), 6.82m/22-4.50.


Men’s Weight Throw Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Tyren Hannah (LA), 19.26m/63-2.25; 2. Francois Prinsloo (USA), 18.78m/61-7.50; 3. Kaya Ludgood (USM), 18.17m/59-7.50; 4. Piers Cameron (USM), 17.60m/57-9; 5. Oliver Jack (LA), 17.59m/57-8.50; 6. Connor Mozee (USM), 17.42m/57-2; 7. Samuel Mika (USA), 17.26m/56-7.50; 8. Sebastian Loschner (USA), 17.07m/56. 


Men’s Pole Vault Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Bradley Jelmert (ARST), 5.62m/18-5.25; 2. Kyle Rademeyer (USA), 5.42m/17-9.25; 3. John Carswell (ARST), 4.92m/16-1.75; 4. Oscar Prieto (ULM), 4.92m/16-1.75; 5. Teodor Borgius (LA), 4.92m/16-1.75; 6. Nick Russell (LA), 4.77m/15-7.75; 7. Dylan German (ULM), 4.77m/15-7.75; 7. Trace South (ARST), 4.77m/15-7.75.

Women’s Long Jump Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi (ULM), 6.04m/19-9.75; 2. Mathilde Canet (TXST), 6.02m/19-9; 3. Imani Moore (GS), 5.95m/19-6.25; 4. Kennedy Hood (GS), 5.93m/19-5.50; 5. Ashlee Osaji (APP), 5.93m/19-5.50; 6. Olaia Becerril Alvarez (ULM), 5.89m/19-4; 7. Taylor Walls (LA), 5.84m/19-2; 8. Payton Guye (GS), 5.80m/19-0.50.

Women’s Pentathlon (Top-Eight Finishers)
1.  Claudine Raud-Gumiel (ULM), 3,746; 2. Ebba Hedberg (CCU), 3,722; 3. Luize Opola (TXST), 3,716; 4. Kady Schwietz (TROY), 3,705; 5. Lara Check (MAR), 3,619; 6. Isabel Daines (ARST), 3,522; 7. Miranda Burgett (ARST), 3,474; 8. Alejandra Gutierrez Fuente (TROY), 3,459.

Women’s 5,000-Meter Run Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Abby Herring (MAR), 16:06.64; 2. Molly Jones (CCU), 16:14.62; 3. Miranda Stanhope (JMU), 16:42.89; 4. Katherine Lawson (JMU), 16:52.73; 5. Jaybe Shufelburger (ARST), 16:55.63; 6. Elizabeth Martin (ARST), 17:02.75; 7. Cadi Rowe (TROY), 17:09.58; 8. Olivia Walter (ARST), 17:11.63.

Men’s 5,000-Meter Run Final (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Sacha Perrier (USA), 14:30.39; 2. Dawson Mayberry (ARST), 14:31.55; 3. Xavier Johnson (USA), 14:32.41; 4. Teagan Flanagan (USA), 14:35.90; 5. Jacob Pyeatt (ARST), 14:40.51; 6. Jake Smith (TXST), 14:40.96; 7. Evan White (MAR), 14:45.62; 8. Jonathon Hrivank (TXST), 14:46.76.

Women’s Distance Medley Relay Final
1. Arkansas State, 11:443.90; 2. App State, 11:47.73; 3. Texas State, 11:48.89; 4. Coastal Carolina, 11:49.51; 5. Southern Miss, 12:10.02; 6. Marshall, 12:10.37; 7. Louisiana, 12:13.22; 8. James Madison, 12:18.19; 9. South Alabama, 12:22.44; 10. Georgia State, 12:36.90; 11. Troy, 12:49.02; 12. Georgia Southern, 12:58.95.

Men’s Distance Medley Relay Final
1. ULM, 10:01.65; 2. Louisiana, 10:05.30; 3. Arkansas State, 10:07.15; 4. Marshall, 10:10.03; 5. Southern Miss, 10:27.35; 6. South Alabama, 10:56.93. 

Meet Records Broken 
Women’s 5,000 Meters – Abby Herring, Marshall [16:06.64]
Men’s Pole Vault – Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State [5.62m/18-5.25]