MONROE, La. – The Louisiana women and South Alabama men maintained a lead at the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, contested at the Groseclose Track at Brown Stadium on the campus of ULM in Monroe, La., following the second day of competition.

The final day of the Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships begins at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday. The ESPN+ broadcast will commence at 4 p.m. CT with the women’s 4x100-meter relay. 

The second day of events in Monroe featured a packed schedule of prelims and finals. The men completed seven additional events, while the women completed five. There were also eleven additional preliminary events that qualified individuals for the finals on Championship Saturday.
 
The athletes have accomplished 12 new facility records as well as a trio of Sun Belt Conference Championship Meet records. 217 student-athletes have recorded personal-best finishes at the championships so far with 85 accomplishing season-best marks and times.
 
The second day began with the women’s 10,000m run with James Madison’s Miranda Stanhope earning the gold in 35:24.43. Stanhope also became the first Duke to capture both an indoor and outdoor gold medal. She was joined on the podium by Abby Herring (Marshall, 35:37.96) and Molly Jones (Coastal Carolina, 35:54.08).
 
In the men’s 10,000m run, Xavier Johnson from South Alabama earned the gold down the stretch in 30:58.24. App State’s Oliver Wilson-Cook (30:59.54) earned the silver as his teammate Jonah Bird (31:09.51) finished on the podium in third.
 
The men’s javelin athletes took the stage next, as heading into the fifth round the top three spots were separated by narrow margins. Troy’s Cole Stewart launched a personal-best 73.75m/241-11 to extend his lead and capture the gold medal. Reuben Booyson from South Alabama also captured a personal-best mark of 68.31m/224-1 on his final throw to earn silver. Michaelangelo Bullard from Texas State earned the bronze on a season-best mark of 65.20m/213-11.
 
The multis completed their second day of competition to lead into the afternoon. ULM’s Claudine Raud-Gumiel finished first in five of the seven events to capture the top spot on the podium in the Women’s Heptathlon with a personal-best score of 5,496 points. Earning silver was Taylor Walls from Louisiana with a personal-best total of 5,189 points. Isabal Daines from Arkansas State earned the bronze medal with a total score of 5,070 points.
 
The Men’s Decathlon came down to the final event in the 1500m Run. Arkansas State sophomore Colby Eddowes captured his second consecutive gold medal at the outdoor championships in the event by breaking the Sun Belt Conference Championship Meet Record he set last year with a total of 7,443 points. Nic Glass from South Alabama earned the silver medal with a personal-best score of 7,074 points. Easton Hammond from Texas State earned the bronze medal with a score of 7,069.
 
Texas State’s Chris Preddie captured gold in the men’s long jump with a mark of 7.73m/25-4.5. Algirdas Strelciunas (7.39m/24-3) from ULM earned the silver medal, as Tyler Nichols (7.34m/24-1) from Southern Miss earned the bronze on a season-best mark.
 
The next facility record to fall came during the women’s shot put, where Melanie Duron launched a season-best 16.67m/54-8.25 to claim the gold medal for Texas State. Fellow Bobcat Lauryn Small earned the silver medal with a mark of 16.17m/53-0.75. Troy’s Biniosa Ezukuse tallied a personal-best 15.92m/52-2.75 to earn the bronze.
 
Two additional personal-best efforts were recorded on the podium for the men’s shot put. Arkansas State’s Willem Coertzen tallied a personal-best 18.52m/60-9.25 in his final throw to claim the title. South Alabama’s Sebastian Loschner also tallied a personal-best mark of 18.19m/59-8.25 to earn second in the event. Piers Cameron from Southern Miss finished with the bronze medal on a distance of 17.83m/58-6.
 
2023 NCAA Men’s Pole Vault National Champion Kyle Rademeyer from South Alabama etched his name further into the record books with a new Sun Belt Conference Championships Meet Record clearance of 5.65m/18-6.5, which also set a new facility record. Matthew Gray from App State finished with the silver medal after clearing a height of 5.27m/17-3.5. ULM’s Oscar Prieto tallied a season-best height of 5.17m/16-11.5 to finish on the podium in third.
 
The women’s long jump concluded the scoring events for the second day as App State senior Ashlee Osaji captured the gold with a facility record mark of 6.26m/20-6.5. ULM’s Eunice Illunga Mbuyi tallied a personal-best mark of 6.25m/20-6.25 on her fifth jump to claim second. Georgia Southern’s Imani Moore earned the bronze with a distance of 6.11m/20-0.5.

2024 Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 10, 2024)

Men’s Team Scores (through eight events):
1. South Alabama (90)
2. Arkansas State (45)
3. App State (40)
4. Louisiana (29)
T5. Southern Miss (26)
T5. Troy (26)
7. Texas State (25)
8. ULM (22)
9. Coastal Carolina (5)
10. Marshall (4)

Women’s Team Scores (through eight events): 
1. Louisiana (57.5)
2. Arkansas State (54)
3. Texas State (52)
T4. James Madison (23)
T4. ULM (23)
6. South Alabama (22.5)
7. Marshall (18)
8. App State (15)
9. Troy (14)
10. Coastal Carolina (13)
11. Georgia Southern (10)
T12. Georgia State (5)
T12. Southern Miss (5)
 
Facility Records Broken
Women’s 100m Hurdles – Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina [13.25]
Women’s 400m Dash – Keniya Walker, Georgia State [53.65]
Women’s 400m Hurdles – Moseiha Bridgen, Louisiana [58:46]
Women’s 800m Dash – Addison Ollendick-Smith, App State [2:10.43]
Women’s 1500m Run – Rahel Broemmel, Arkansas State [4:33.91]
Women’s Hammer Throw – Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State [69.08m/214-2]
Women’s Long Jump – Ashlee Osaji, App State [6.26m/20-6.5]
Women’s Pole Vault – Bella Croscetti, Arkansas State [3.97m/13-0.25]
Women’s Shot Put – Melanie Duron, Texas State [16.67m/54-8.25]
Men’s 110m Hurdles – Daniel Harrold, Texas State [13.67]
Men’s Decathlon – Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State [7,443 points]
Men’s Pole Vault – Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama [5.65m/18-6.5]
 
Sun Belt Championship Meet Records Broken
Men’s 110m Hurdles – Daniel Harrold, Texas State [13.67]
Men’s Decathlon – Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State [7,443 points]
Men’s Pole Vault – Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama [5.65m/18-6.5]