BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two school records, three victories, six medals, 26 scoring performances and 41 lifetime bests were attained by Abilene Christian track and field through two days of competition at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships hosted by the Birmingham Complex.
The total sum of these efforts resulted in the men's and women's teams placing third of 13 schools. The men scored 64 points over 17 events, and the women accumulated 63.
ACU won two of its three gold medals in the shot put. Redshirt freshman
Tyler Richardson reached a distance of 17.11 meters (56 feet-1.75 inches) on his sixth and final attempt to give the Wildcats their second shot put champion in as many years (2019,
Kai Schmidt).
In the women's shot put, junior
Annina Brandenburg led the competition from wire-to-wire as no one in either flight would top her opening toss of 15.16 meters. She broke her school record on her third attempt, hitting 16.33m (53-07.00), and for the moment owns the NCAA's 27th-best mark.
The first school record broken this weekend was by junior
Megan Kirby in the pentathlon as she totaled 3,781 points Sunday with PRs coming in the shot put (11.18m / 36-08.25) and 800m (2:25.93). Her combined efforts raised her lifetime best by 165 points and surpassed Jessica Withrow's decade-old varsity record of 3,653 from the NCAA DII Championships in Albuquerque.
ACU jumped from sixth to third place in the men's standings to edge Stephen F. Austin by one-point thanks their second-straight win in the 1,600-meter relay behind a time of 3:10.41. SFA was second in this event at 3:12.17.
The Wildcats grabbed the lead during senior
Ryan Linton's second leg and continued to extend their advantage with quality efforts from junior
Blaze Brownlow and
Avery Williams.
ACU has now won the 4x400-meter relay four times since the 2018 outdoor championships in San Antonio, and five times since 2016 outdoors.
Also reaching the medal stand for ACU this week were freshman
Jacob Mechler in the weight throw (18.18m / 59-07.75), junior
Taylor Tolen in the 60m dash (7.49 seconds), sophomore high jumper
Zoe Spinn (1.70m / 5-7) and senior pole vaulter
Mackenzie West (3.72m / 12-02.50).
Mechler and Tolen each won silver medals, while Spinn and West were bronze medalists.
# # #
Women - Team Rankings
1.) Stephen F. Austin - 138.75
2.) Northwestern St. - 117.50
3.) Abilene Christian - 63
4.) McNeese State - 50.75
5.) Central Arkansas - 50
6.) Incarnate Word - 47.75
7.) SE Louisiana - 44.75
8.) Texas A&M-CC - 31
9.) Houston Baptist - 29
10.) Sam Houston St. - 26.50
11.) Lamar - 24
12.) New Orleans - 22
13.) Nicholls State - 18
Men - Team Rankings
1.) SE Louisiana - 99
2.) Sam Houston St. - 87
3.) Abilene Christian - 64
4.) Stephen F. Austin - 63
5.) McNeese State - 59
6.) Lamar - 58
7.) Northwestern St. - 47
7.) Central Arkansas - 47
9.) Houston Baptist - 45
10.) Texas A&M-CC - 41
11.) Incarnate Word - 31
12.) New Orleans - 20
ACU at the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships
Men's 60m Dash Prelims
19.
Addison Franklin- 7.02 (PR)
22.
Le'Gari Daniels – 7.06
Men's 200m Prelims
6.
Ryan Linton – 21.31 (Indoor PR and fourth-ranked performer at ACU)
24.
Addison Franklin – 22.29
26.
Le'Gari Daniels – 22.36
Men's 200m Finals
6.
Ryan Linton – 21.50
Men's 400m Prelims
9.
Avery Williams – 48.35
14.
Jared Williams – 49.09
Men's Mile Prelims
2.
Denis Lagat – 4:17.20
Men's Mile Finals
4.
Denis Lagat – 4:16.99 (PR)
Men's 3,000-Meter Run
7.
Denis Lagat – 8:37.76 (PR and sixth-ranked performer at ACU)
Men's 60m Hurdles Prelims
7.
Jamal January – 8.15 (PR and fifth-ranked performer at ACU)
8.
Jeremy King – 8.19 (PR and eighth-ranked performer at ACU)
12.
Harrison Manuel – 8.39
Men's 60m Hurdles Finals
6.
Jamal January – 8.22
7.
Jeremy King – 8.30
Men's 4x400m Relay
1.
Jared Williams,
Ryan Linton,
Blaze Brownlow,
Avery Williams – 3:10.41 (fourth-best time at ACU)
Men's Distance Medley Relay
6.
Levi Chambers,
Cole Palka,
Seth Crockett and
Denis Lagat – 10:15.76 (SB)
Men's High Jump
14.
Daniel Wheeler – 1.85m (6-00.75)
Men's Pole Vault
5.
Cole Newman – 4.96m (16-03.25) (PR)
6.
Ross Dean – 4.66m (15-03.50)
Men's Long Jump
7.
Jamal January – 7.02m (23-00.50)
17.
Ethan Christian – 6.75m (22-01.75)
28.
Riley Ellis – 5.90m (19-04.25)
Men's Shot Put
1.
Tyler Richardson – 17.11m (56-01.75)
13.
Jacob Mechler – 13.38m (43-10.75)
Men's Weight Throw
2.
Jacob Mechler – 18.18m (59-07.75)
4. Thomas Wilson - 17.67m (57-11.75)
5.
Tyler Richardson - 17.35m (56-11.25)
Heptathlon
10.)
Ethan Christian – 4,662 pts. (PR)
60m – 7.17 / 4th, 823 pts.
LJ – 6.82m (22-04.50) / 3rd, 771 pts.
SP – 10.35m (33-11.50) / 14th, 507 pts.
HJ – 1.77m (5-09.75) / 14th, 602 pts. (PR)
60m Hurdles – 8.77 / 11th, 797 pts.
PV – 3.20m (10-06.00) / 17th, 406 pts. (PR)
1000m – 2:50.89 / 6th, 756 pts. (PR)
13.)
Daniel Wheeler – 4,441 pts. (PR)
60m – 7.25 / 7th, 796 pts. (PR)
LJ – 6.45m (21-02.00) / 10th, 686 pts.
SP – 9.07m (29-09.25) / 19th, 430 pts. (PR)
HJ – 1.92m (6-03.50) / 4th, 731 pts.
60m Hurdles – 8.63 / 6th, 829 pts. (PR)
PV – 2.90m (9-06.25) / 18th, 333 pts. (PR)
1000m – 3:02.93 / 12th, 636 (PR)
18.)
AJ Brown – 4,002 pts. (PR)
60m – 7.56 / 19th, 694 pts.
LJ – 5.63m (18-05.75) / 19th, 508 pts.
SP – 9.78m (32-01.00) /18th, 472 pts.
HJ – 1.65m (5-05.00) / 18th, 504 pts.
60m Hurdles – 9.13 / 13th, 717 pts. (PR)
PV – 3.60m (11-09.75) / 13th, 509 pts. (PR)
1000m – 3:06.88 / 15th, 598 pts. (PR)
Women's 60m Prelims
6.
Taylor Tolen – 7.45 (PR and fourth-ranked performer at ACU)
11.
Karrington Lewis – 7.72
Women's 60m Finals
2.
Taylor Tolen – 7.49
Women's 200m Prelims
4.
Taylor Tolen – 24.31 (PR and fourth-ranked performer at ACU)
19.
Karrington Lewis – 25.30
21.
Savannah Walker – 25.33
24.
Mya Henson – 25.61
Women's 200m Finals
7.
Taylor Tolen – 24.60
Women's 400m Prelims
9.
Noriyah Johnson – 57.20 (PR)
15.
Rylee Jordan – 57.55 (PR)
19.
Mya Henson – 57.99 (PR)
Women's 800m Prelims
11.
Julia Perry – 2:21.79 (PR)
Women's 3,000-meter Run
4.
Briahna Gerlach – 9:58.90
12.
Grace White – 10:19.43 (PR and ninth-ranked performer at ACU)
18.
Sarah Wagler – 10:31.67
34.
Irene Rono – 11:04.69
Women's 5,000-meter Run
5.
Briahna Gerlach – 17:16.39 (PR)
9.
Grace White – 17:53.67 (PR)
12.
Sarah Wagler – 18:03.28 (PR)
Women's 60m Hurdles Prelims
5.
Irene Akwitti – 8.73 (PR and third-ranked performer at ACU)
8.
Megan Kirby – 8.86
23.
Amy Ambelang – 9.27
Women's 60m Hurdles Finals
4.
Irene Akwitti – 8.74
7.
Megan Kirby – 8.82
Women's 4x400m Relay
7.
Taylor Tolen,
Savannah Walker,
Rylee Jordan,
Noriyah Johnson – 3:49.16 (SB)
Women's High Jump
3.
Zoe Spinn – 1.70m (5-07.00)
10.
Kyla Peeples – 1.60m (5-03.00)
Women's Pole Vault
3.
Mackenzie West – 3.72m (12-02.50)
4.
Camille Ward – 3.57m (11-08.50)
5.
Kenna Calliham – 3.57m (11-08.50) (PR)
Women's Triple Jump
11.
Ella Anttila – 11.87m (38-11.50)
Women's Shot Put
1.
Annina Brandenburg – 16.33m (53-07.00) (PR and SCHOOL RECORD)
Women's Weight Throw
11.
Kaylee Rampey – 15.37m (50-05.25) (PR)
18.
Taylor McCoy – 13.59m (44-07.00)
Pentathlon
5.
Megan Kirby – 3,781 points (PR and SCHOOL RECORD)
60m Hurdles – 8.73 / 2nd, 967 pts.
HJ – 1.59m (5-02.50) / 7th, 724 pts.
SP – 11.18m (36-08.25) / 5th, 607 pts. (PR)
LJ – 5.63m (18-05.75) / 2nd, 738 pts.
800m – 2:25.93 / 7th, 745 pts. (PR)
12.
Amy Ambelang – 3,116 points (PR and seventh-ranked performer at ACU)
60m Hurdles – 9.11 / 7th, 887 pts. (PR)
HJ – 1.47m (4-09.75) / 14th, 588 pts. (PR)
SP – 9.52m (31-03.00) / 13th, 498 pts. (PR)
LJ – 5.03m (16-06.00) / 15th, 567 pts.
800m – 2:39.74 / 14th, 576 pts. (PR)
17.
Payton Wall – 2,745 points (PR)
60m Hurdles – 10.20 / 16th, 675 pts. (PR)
HJ – 1.35m (4-05.00) / 19th, 460 pts.
SP – 8.82m (28-11.25) / 15th, 452 pts.
LJ – 4.85m (15-11.00) / 18th, 519 pts.
800m – 2:34.35 / 11th, 639 pts. (PR)
