Mars Hill ends indoor season at SAC Championships
Both Lions' teams placed the highest they have in past five years.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's and women's indoor track & field team traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to compete in the South Atlantic Conference Championship. Competition took place Saturday, March 1st-Sunday, March 2nd.
Twenty Lion's qualified for the championship. The men placed seventh overall out of 13 teams with a combined score of 35 points. This is the highest point total by the Lions in five-plus years, marking a sign of great progress and growth for the men.
Fifteen Lions from the women's team qualified for the championship. The women's team placed 10th of 13 teams with a combined score of 17 points. This marks the ladies highest point total in five years and is a testament to the work they put in each and every day.
MEN'S STORY:
Championship Recap
Event Wins
Jesse Shelton was named the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Champion in both Weight Throw and Shot Put. Shelton's fifth of six throws in the Weight, 17.59m (personal best), sealed the deal, leading to his first championship win in the event. Shelton broke his own school record and earned 10 points for the event win.
Shelton followed up his Day One performance in Weight with a breakthrough performance on Day 2 in Shot Put. Shelton shattered the SAC Indoor Championship meet record in the event with a throw of 18.22m. With this throw, Shelton set a new personal best, a new school record, and secured his trip to Indoor Nationals. Shelton ranks seventh in the Nation in Division II. Shelton added another 10 points toward the team score, earning 20 points overall between the two events.
Additional Point scorers
Jared Benain sailed through the air to a new personal best 6.94m in Long Jump. Benain placed fifth overall and earned four points towards the team score. Benain followed up this performance with a fourth place finish in Triple Jump. Benain matched his season best 14.27m and earned five points towards the team score.
The men's DMR (Distance Medley Relay) ran a season best time of 10:40.28. . Brandon McNulty led off for the Lions running the 1200m leg, Connor Cecil ran the 400m leg, Braxton Taft Cummings took the baton for the 800m leg and handed off to Sean Sanchez for the final 1600m leg. Sanchez caught two other athletes during his leg and helped secure a sixth place finish in the relay. The men earned three points toward the overall team score.
Lucas New competed in the Heptathlon, a two-day event comprised of the 60m dash, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 60m Hurdles, Pole Vault, and the 1000m. New placed seventh overall with a combined score of 4,104 points.
Justus Shelton threw a new personal best 14.20m in shot put. Justus placed eighth overall in Shot, earning one point towards the overall team score.
Personal Bests
Charles Fuerneisen ran a personal best 4:31.20 in the mile. Fuerneisen placed 17th overall.
Iggy Welch threw a personal best 13.69m in the weight throw. Welch placed 13th overall.
Matthew O'Connor ran personal bests in the 5000m run (15:35.69) and 3000m run (8:54.5). O'Connor placed 17th in the 5000m and 19th in the 3000m.
Eli Taylor ran a personal best 15:47.63 in the 5000m run. Taylor placed 19th overall.
Sean Sanchez ran a personal best 8:49.93 in the 3000m run. Sanchez placed 16th overall.
Brandon McNulty ran a personal best 8:59.78 in the 3000m run. McNulty placed 24th overall.
Additional Highlights:
Levi Hill competed in the men's 60m Hurdles. Hill placed 13th overall with a time of 8.96s.
Hunter Philyaw competed in the 60m dash. Philyaw placed 26th with a time of 7.07s.
Hank Bowen placed 23rd in Long Jump with a collegiate best 5.69m.
Jaidyn Hicks placed 24th in Long Jump with a jump of 5.56m.
Ashtin Gainey earned a trip to the finals in shot put, placing 9th overall with a throw of 13.58m.
Iggy Welch placed 14th in shot put with a throw of 12.61m.
Makhi Edgecombe placed 16th in shot put with a throw of 11.99m
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WOMEN'S STORY:
Championship Recap
Haley Eddinger vaulted her way to a podium finish in Pole Vault. Eddinger placed third overall with a vault of 3.42m. Eddinger earned six points towards the team score. Eddinger ended her indoor slate ranked third in the Southeast region. Top-5 earn All-Region honors.
Sophie Ratcliff placed eighth in the 5000m run with a time of 18:11.85. Ratcliff earned one point towards the team score. Ratcliff finished the indoor season as the #1 freshman in the Conference for the 5000m as well as the #1 freshman in the Southeast Region.
The Women's DMR (Distance Medley Relay) placed fifth overall, earning four points towards to the team score. Natalee Powers led off with the 1200m leg. She handed the baton off to Alina Mueller, who sprinted 400m before handing the baton off to Lindsey Jenkins. Jenkins passed the baton off to Ratcliff, who cemented the team's fifth place finish. They finished with a new school record time of 12:54.31.
Cierra Williams and La'Miya Blake both advanced to the finals in shot put. Williams placed fourth overall with a personal best 12.13m (39' 9.75"). Blake placed eighth overall with a personal best 11.29m (37' 0.5"). Williams earned five points and Blake earned one point toward the Lion's overall team score.
Personal Bests:
The distance squad competed extremely well over the weekend, setting many personal bests in their final race(s) of the season. Grace Adams competed in the 5000m run on Day One and the 3000m run on Day Two. Adams set personal bests in the both races – 18:46.20 in the 5000m and 10:46.11 in the 3000m. Hannah Frazer finished with a personal best 10:52.11 in the 3000m.
Kayla Rice threw a new personal best, 12.05m, in weight throw. Rice placed 15th overall.
Jimena Montero set a new personal best in the Pentathlon with an overall score of 1960. She set personal bests in the 60m hurdles, high jump, and 800m run.
Additional Highlights from the meet
Sophie Ratcliff placed 11th in the 3000m run with a time of 10:25.58.
Natalee Powers placed 11th in the 800m run with a time of 2:25.62.
Simone Giggetts placed 12th in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.25s.
Mara Adams placed 30th in long jump with a jump of 3.98m.
The women's 4x400 relay, comprised of Simone Giggetts, Lindsey Jenkins, Natalee Powers, and Alina Mueller finished in 10th place with a season best 4:18.99.
Meet Results: https://www.tfrrs.org/results/86441/South_Atlantic_Indoor_TF_Championships
Next up
Catch Jesse Shelton March 15th at NCAA DII Indoor Nationals as he competes in Shot Put. Event start time is 3:30pm. Venue: Fall Creek Pavilion at Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The whole team begins their outdoor slate March 21st-March 22nd at the Montreat Invite hosted by Montreat College.
