MOBILE, Ala. – The Texas State men and women lead the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, contested at the Jaguar Track on the campus of South Alabama, following the second day of the event. Tyler Nichols from Southern Miss and Matthew Gray from App State each set new league marks in their respective events.
The Texas State men have totaled 62 points through eight events. Arkansas State is in second place with 55.5 points, while App State sits in third with 52 points. The Texas State women have tallied 80 points through eight events. South Alabama currently stands in second with 44 points as Arkansas State is in third with 41 points.
The final day of the Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships begins at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 16 with the men’s triple jump and the women’s discus. The ESPN+ broadcast will begin with the running events at 4 p.m. for the Women’s 4x100m Relay.
A pair of Sun Belt records fell in the field events during the second day of the championships, as Southern Miss’ Tyler Nichols and App State’s Matthew Gray set new marks for the league. Nichols broke an 11 year old record in the men’s long jump, as Gray surpassed former national champion Kyle Rademeyer from South Alabama in the men’s pole vault. Nichols set a new facility, Sun Belt Championship Meet and Sun Belt record with his distance of 8.19m/26-10.5, which currently ranks No. 2 nationally. On his final attempt in the pole vault, Gray cleared 5.84m/19-2 to set a new facility, Sun Belt Championship Meet and Sun Belt Record with his mark currently ranking No. 1 nationally.
Southern Miss also earned the silver medal in the long jump as De’Aundre Ward leapt 8.14m/26-8.5 to rank No. 3 nationally. Texas State’s Giovonni Walker earned the final spot on the podium with a mark of 7.72m/25-4, which ranks No. 23 nationally.
In the pole vault, South Alabama’s Terek Logan cleared a personal best height of 5.53m/18-1.75 to rank No. 21 nationally and earn the silver medal. Texas State’s Caden Ohara cleared 5.33m/17-5.75 to earn the bronze with a mark that ranks No. 47 nationally.
The women’s heptathlon finished on Friday as Texas State’s Sophie Daugard captured the title with 5,456 points. Daugard finished first in both the 200m and long jump and finished inside the top three in four of the five other events to secure the title. Georgia Southern’s Madison Linscomb won both the javelin and 800m to earn the silver medal with 5,095 points. Texas State’s Bostyn Baskin secured the bronze with 5,017 points and a first place finish in the high jump.
The men’s decathlon also concluded as Texas State’s Easton Hammond set a new facility and Sun Belt Championship Meet record with 7,682 points. Hammond won the high jump with 915 points for his efforts and finished the final event, the 1500m run, in first. He finished inside the top four in eight of the ten events. South Alabama’s Samuel Warriner earned the silver medal with a school record total of 7,366 points as Texas State’s David Richards earned the bronze with 7,213 points.
The women’s shot put was decided on the final throws as Texas State’s Sophia Haberer launched a facility record mark of 16.48m/54-1 to claim the gold medal. The mark also ranks No. 34 nationally. Fellow Bobcat Hannah Kemele earned her second podium finish at the championship with a mark of 16.45m/53-11.75 to earn the silver medal and rank No. 35 nationally. Arkansas State’s Selase Sampram earned the bronze medal with a mark of 16.22m/53-2.75.
Olympian Menachem Chen from Arkansas State claimed the gold medal in the men’s shot put with a mark of 19.11m/62-8.5. Marshall’s Gabriel Urraca earned the silver with a mark of 18.08m/59-4. Texas State’s Adam Carter earned the final spot on the podium with a mark of 17.94m/58-10.25.
In the final events of the day, the men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase featured a podium of personal best finishes. On the women’s side, Cadence Lapp from Southern Miss recorded a personal best time of 10:35.71 to claim the gold medal. Arkansas State sophomore Erika Krueger finished second in 10:37.84 for a personal best. Georgia State’s Destinee Frink also ran a personal best 10:38.24 to earn the bronze.
On the men’s side, App State swept the podium with all three personal best finishes. Ethan Lipham defended his crown in the event with a new facility and Sun Belt Championship Meet record time of 8:49.64. Teammate Thomas Wlazlowski earned the silver medal with a time of 8:49.96. Fellow Mountaineer Derek Waite earned the bronze in 8:51.40 for the first team sweep at the championships.
2026 Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 15, 2026)
Men’s Team Scores (Through Eight Events):
1. Texas State (62)
2. Arkansas State (55.5)
3. App State (52)
4. South Alabama (48.5)
5. ULM (29)
6. Southern Miss (22)
7. Louisiana (19)
8. Marshall (11)
9. Troy (8)
10. Coastal Carolina (5)
Women’s Team Scores (Through Eight Events):
1. Texas State (80)
2. South Alabama (44)
3. Arkansas State (41)
4. Louisiana (40)
5. App State (23)
6. Marshall (18)
7. Georgia Southern (16)
8. Southern Miss (15)
9. Georgia State (14)
10. Coastal Carolina (12)
11. ULM (9)
-- Troy
-- James Madison
Meet Records Broken
Women’s Hammer Throw – Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State [70.81m/232-03]
Men’s Decathlon – Easton Hammond, Texas State [7,628 points]
Men’s Long Jump – Tyler Nichols, Southern Miss [8.19m/26-10.5]
Men’s Pole Vault – Matthew Gray, App State [5.84m/19-2]
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase – Ethan Lipham, App State [8:49.64]
Sun Belt Records Broken
Men’s Long Jump – Tyler Nichols, Southern Miss [8.19m/26-10.5]
Men’s Pole Vault – Matthew Gray, App State [5.84m/19-2]