ANDERSON, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's track and field teams advanced a total of 14 runners to finals on day one of the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, hosted by Anderson University.

The Pioneer men will have nine competitors in Thursday's finals, while Tusculum will have five women's entries in finals of running events following the preliminaries on Wednesday. Junior Jamal Cash and freshman Theresa Green-White each advanced to the finals of both the high and intermediate hurdles, while freshman Kiera Taylor moved into the finals of both the women's 100 and 200-meter dashes.

Through six events, the Tusculum men have yet to score a team point while the Pioneer women are in ninth place with three points. The remaining 15 events in the meet will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday with the women's discus and conclude at 5:30 p.m. with the 4x400-meter relays.

MEN'S RECAP
Four Pioneers qualified for the finals in the 100 meters, led by junior Tyrell Edwards who won his heat and is seeded third overall at 10.36 seconds. Tusculum had all three wild-card qualifiers for the finals, with senior Marquel Pittman in sixth with a career-best 10.43 seconds, freshman Isaiah Olson in seventh with a career-best 10.49 seconds, and junior Jordan Taylor in eighth at 10.49 seconds.

Senior Zackary Nelson qualified for Thursday's finals in the 400 meters by winning his heat with a time of 48.81 seconds, good for seventh overall in the field. Junior Dorian Craven just missed advancing as he was ninth overall at 48.98 seconds, with sophomore Stephen Brewer in 11th with a career-best time of 49.21 seconds.

Senior Antonio Aparicio took second overall in the 800 meter preliminaries and moved on to the finals with a time of 1:54.59. Freshman DeWayne Morris was 12th and climbed to fourth on the program performance list in the event with a time of 1:58.76, while sophomore Landen Locklear was 20th overall and had a career-best time of 2:02.74.

Cash moved into the finals of the 100-meter hurdles by taking second place in his heat and fourth overall with a season-best time of 14.96 seconds. Cash and freshman Daryl Smith Jr. each advanced to the finals in the 400 hurdles, with Cash taking sixth in prelims at 56.18 seconds and Smith seventh at 56.28 seconds.

Tusculum did not advance any runners in the 200 meters, where Pittman was the top finisher in 13th place at 21.56 seconds and Olson set a career best of 21.84 seconds. Freshman Jerry Ricker was Tusculum's lone entry in the 1500 meters and he placed 20th overall in 4:32.32.

Freshman Adrian Gumm broke the school record in the hammer throw and finished 13th overall at 42.25 meters (138 feet, 7 inches), surpassing the previous mark of 40.78 meters (133 feet, 9 inches) established by Evan Grooms at the 2019 SAC Championship.

All three Pioneers with marks in the javelin set career bests, led by freshman Mikeal Pillar at 43.06 meters (141 feet, 3 inches) in 11th place. Freshman Gavin Rowell was 15th at 37.68 meters (123 feet, 7 inches) and freshman Carlos Turner was 16th at 37.08 meters (121 feet, 8 inches).

Smith and sophomore Joshua Stephens competed in the long jump for the Pioneers, with Smith placing 19th at 6.38 meters (20 feet, 11 1/4 inches) and Stephens in 22nd place at 6.01 meters (19 feet, 8 3/4 inches).

Wingate took the top five spots in the steeplechase and the top eight positions in the 10,000 meters to bolt to a commanding lead after day one. The Bulldogs lead with 84 points, well ahead of second-place Lenoir-Rhyne (36.5 points) and Anderson (28.5 points).

WOMEN'S RECAP
The Pioneers received their first points of the meet in the hammer throw, where sophomore Amber Hogan finished sixth and obliterated her previous school record with a mark of 45.05 meters (147 feet, 9 inches). Hogan's previous best mark was 40.94 meters (134 feet, 4 inches) set at the Montreat Invitational on March 25, 2022.

Green-White was the top qualifier in the 100 hurdles and broke the school record in preliminaries with a time of 14.24 seconds, which surpassed the record of 14.69 seconds set by Kenisha Stubbs at the Catamount Classic on April 16, 2022. In the 400 hurdles, Green-White knocked more than three seconds off her seed time and qualified seventh for finals with a time of 1:07.63.

In the 100 meters, Taylor moved on to Thursday's finals as she placed sixth in qualifying at 11.88 seconds. Grad student Kylia Wright was 12th overall at 12.22 seconds, followed by senior Aliyah Adderley in 13th place at 12.23 seconds. Sophomore Silvia Bah was 20th overall and posted a career-best time of 12.46 seconds, which moves her to sixth on the program performance list in the event.

Taylor also advanced in the 200 meters, as she ran a season-best 24.91 in prelims. Wright was 10th overall with a season-best time of 25.14 seconds, with Bah in 19th place at 26.13 seconds.

Junior Emily Coddington qualified for the finals of the 1500 meters after taking third in preliminaries with a career-best time of 4:47.82. Coddington was in 11th place halfway through the race but gained eight positions in the final two laps to advance to Thursday's final. Freshman Inmaculada Delgado also had a career-best time, taking 17th overall in 5:03.66 to surpass her previous season best by more than 2 1/2 seconds.

Wingate collected 46 of its 69 points between the steeplechase and the 10,000 meters to take the lead after day one, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne with 44 points and Catawba in tihrd with 32 points.

2023 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship
at Anderson, S.C. - Day 1 of 2
Tusculum results
MEN
Preliminaries
100: 3. Tyrell Edwards, 10.36 (advances); 6. Marquel Pittman, 10.43 (advances); 7. Isaiah Olson, 10.49 (advances); 8. Jordan Taylor, 10.49 (advances); 12. Devan Hart, 10.59; 14. Jarvis Barber Jr., 10.61.
200: 13. Marquel Pittman, 21.56; 14. Jarvis Barber Jr., 21.64; 18. Isaiah Olson, 21.84; 22. Devan Hart, 21.96; 23. Tyrell Edwards, 21.97; 37. Keelen Lester, 23.89.
400: 7. Zackary Nelson, 48.81 (advances); 9. Dorian Craven, 48.98; 11. Stephen Brewer, 49.21; 32. Xavion Bogus, 52.46.
800: 2. Antonio Aparicio, 1:54.59 (advances); 12. DeWayne Morris, 1:58.76; 20. Landen Locklear, 2:02.74.
1500: 20. Jerry Ricker, 4:32.32.
110 hurdles: 4. Jamal Cash, 14.96 (advances).
400 hurdles: 6. Jamal Cash, 56.18 (advances); 7. Daryl Smith Jr., 56.28 (advances).

Finals
Hammer throw: 13. Adrian Gumm, 42.25m (138-7) (school record); 28. Mikeal Pillar, 32.08m (105-3).
Javelin: 11. Mikeal Pillar, 43.06m (141-3); 15. Gavin Rowell, 37.68m (123-7); 16. Carlos Turner, 37.08m (121-8).
Long jump: 19. Daryl Smith Jr., 6.38m (20-11 1/4); 22. Joshua Stephens, 6.01m (19-8 3/4).

Team scores (6 of 21 events): 1. Wingate 84; 2. Lenoir-Rhyne 36.5; 3. Anderson 28.5; 4. Limestone 21; 5. Newberry 20; 6. Catawba 18; 7. Emory & Henry 15; 8. Carson-Newman 5; 8. Lincoln Memorial 5; 10. Mars Hill 1; 11. Tusculum 0; 11. Coker 0.

WOMEN
Preliminaries
100: 6. Kiera Taylor, 11.88 (advances); 12. Kylia Wright, 12.22; 13. Aliyah Adderley, 12.23; 20. Silvia Bah, 12.46.
200: 7. Kiera Taylor, 24.91 (advances); 10. Kylia Wright, 25.14; 19. Silvia Bah, 26.13.
400: 19. Destiny Lottie, 1:03.55.
1500: 3. Emily Coddington, 4:47.82 (advances); 17. Inmaculada Delgado, 5:03.66.
100 hurdles: 1. Theresa Green-White, 14.24 (advances/school record).
400 hurdles: 7. Theresa Green-White, 1:07.63 (advances).

Finals
Hammer throw: 6. Amber Hogan, 45.05m (147-9) (school record).

Team scores (6 of 21 events): 1. Wingate 69; 2. Lenoir-Rhyne 44; 3. Catawba 32; 4. Carson-Newman 27.5; 5. Newberry 26; 6. Anderson 15; 7. Limestone 11; 8. Mars Hill 6.5; 9. Tusculum 3; 10. Lincoln Memorial 0; 10. Coker 0; 10. Emory & Henry 0.