HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Arkansas State men and Texas State women lead the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, contested at Sentara Park on the campus of James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., following the second day of competition.
The Arkansas State men have totaled 57 points through eight scored events. App State and South Alabama are tied for second with 55 points as Texas State sits in fourth with 53. The Texas State women have charted 60 points through eight events. South Alabama is currently second with 52 points as Arkansas State is in third with 50.
Over the first two days of the championship, there have been 190 personal-best performances with 75 season-best times and marks.
The second day of the Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships begins at 12:00 p.m. ET Friday. The ESPN+ broadcast will commence at 4 p.m. ET.
The multi events were the first to finish on Friday. The heptathlon podium featured a pair of personal-best performances. ULM’s Savanna Lawson set a personal-best score of 5,213 points and never finished below third in all seven events. Arkansas State’s Miranda Burgett earned the silver medal with a personal-best score of 5,135 points. Troy’s Kady Schwietz earned the final podium spot with 5,032 total points.
The final day of the decathlon saw a pair of Bobcats earn a spot on the podium. Easton Hammond used a pair of first place finishes in the final three events to total a season-best 7,131 points to claim the gold medal. His teammate Michael Hermes tallied a personal-best 6,944 points to earn the silver medal for 18 team points towards Texas State. Louisiana’s Federico Bovo claimed the final podium finish with a personal-best score of 6,862 points.
The women’s shot put was the first field event to finish. Texas State’s Melanie Duron defended her crown on her final throw with a personal-best distance of 17.26m/56-7.5 to claim the top spot on the podium. The mark also moves her inside the top 20 nationally. Michelle Ogbemudia from Arkansas State earned the silver with a mark of 16.21m/53-2.25. Sophia Haberer from Texas State earned the bronze on her second throw of the event at 15.22m/49-11.25.
In the men’s long jump, Texas State’s Chris Preddie claimed the top spot on the podium on his final jump with a mark of 7.85m/25-9.25. Coastal Carolina’s Terrique Webb earned the silver with a season-best mark of 7.81m/25-7.5. De’Aundre Ward from Southern Miss finished third on the podium with his final jump of 7.77m/25-6, which was also a season-best mark.
The men’s shot put saw a pair of personal-best marks finish on the podium. Piers Cameron from Southern Miss catapulted to the top spot on the podium with his final throw. Cameron launched a personal-best 19.44m/63-9.5 to claim the gold medal. The mark also moves him inside the top 20 nationally. Altwayne Bedward from Troy claimed a personal-best mark of 18.87m/61-11 to earn the silver medal. Arkansas State’s Menachem Chen claimed the bronze medal with a mark of 17-39m/57-0.75.
The men’s pole vault featured nine personal-best performances with a season-best height clearance. Arkansas State’s Bradley Jelmert claimed the top spot on the podium with a mark of 5.48m/17-11.75. Matthew Gray from App State earned the silver medal with a clearance of 5.38m/17-7.75. Louisiana’s Teodor Bourgius also cleared a new personal-best height at 5.28m/17-3.75 to earn the bronze medal.
In the women’s long jump, Georgia Southern secured 18 team points with a pair of podium finishes. Imani Moore claimed the gold with a mark of 6.25m/20-6.25 on her second to last jump as her teammate Kennedy Hood picked up a season-best mark of 6.14m/20-1.75 to earn the silver. Louisiana’s Reem Tammam earned the bronze with a mark of 6.09m/19-11.75.
The men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase concluded the events for Friday. In the women’s race, App State’s Emma Russum earned the gold with a time of 10.36.27. Cadence Lapp from Southern Miss earned the silver medal with a personal-best time of 10:50.99. Marshall’s Taylor Spence won the final podium spot in third with a personal-best time of 10:52.63.
The men’s race did not lack drama, as the final two laps provided a handful of lead changes with all three podium finishes running personal-best times. App State’s Ethan Lipham claimed the gold in the final 100m with a personal-best time of 8:58.49, just five seconds off the meet record. South Alabama’s Sacha Perrier ran a personal-best 8:59.51 to earn the silver medal. Fellow Mountaineer Thomas Wlazlowski ran a personal-best 9:03.65 to earn the bronze medal as App State tallied 26 team points in the event.
2025 Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 9, 2025)
Men’s Team Scores (through eight events):
1. Arkansas State (57)
T2. App State (55)
T2. South Alabama (55)
4. Texas State (53)
5. Louisiana (27)
6. ULM (20)
7. Coastal Carolina (17)
8. Southern Miss (16)
9. Troy (10)
10. Marshall (2)
Women’s Team Scores (through eight events):
1. Texas State (60)
2. South Alabama (52)
3. Arkansas State (50)
4. Louisiana (39)
5. App State (22)
6. Georgia Southern (19)
T7. Coastal Carolina (16)
T7. Southern Miss (16)
9. Troy (13)
10. ULM (10)
11. Marshall (9)
12. James Madison (6)
- Georgia State (0)