WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. --- Four medal-winning performances from the Tusculum University men's indoor track & field team boosted the Pioneers to a program-best third-place finish at the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship meet on Sunday at the JDL Fast Track.
The Pioneer women had seven scoring performances on the final day of the meet to earn seventh place, the best finish for Tusculum's women since back-to-back fourth-place finishes in 2019 and 2020. Among them was a gold medal in the 60-meter hurdles from sophomore Theresa Green-White.
Tusculum's men had finished sixth in each of its previous five SAC Indoor Championship meets, but the Pioneers grabbed 47 points across six events on Sunday to vault from eighth place after day one of the meet. The women amassed 30 points in four events on Sunday to move up from 10th place following Saturday's competition.
MEN'S RECAP
The Pioneers earned gold in the final event of the meet, the 4x400-meter relay, and leapfrogged Anderson, Carson-Newman and Catawba to grab third place in the team standings. The quartet of senior Dorian Craven, grad student Zack Nelson, freshman Lansford Cunningham and junior Xay Bogus was timed at 3:21.53 and won the event by three seconds.
Sophomore Daryl Smith Jr. finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 15.13 meters (49 feet, 7 3/4 inches) while junior Joshua Stephens was seventh with a career-best jump of 14.40 meters (47 feet, 3 inches).
Sophomore Adrian Gumm placed second in the shot put with a heave of 15.02 meters (49 feet, 3 1/2 inches), which broke his own school record of 14.89 meters (48 feet, 10 1/2 inches) set Feb. 3 at the VMI Winter Relays. Freshman Dylan Horne took sixth place with a season-best mark of 14.29 meters (46 feet, 10 3/4 inches).
In addition to his gold in the 4x400 relay, Nelson grabbed a bronze medal in the 400 meters with a time of 50.13 seconds, while junior Stephen Brewer was seventh at 52.35 seconds. Senior Marquel Pittman took fourth place in the 60 meters at 6.91 seconds, and was sixth in the 200 meters at 22.51 seconds.
Wingate won the team championship with 177 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne in second with 132 points and Tusculum third with 55 points, just ahead of Anderson (53), Carson-Newman (49.5) and Newberry (48).
WOMEN'S RECAP
Green-White was the top seed in the 60 hurdles after breaking her own school record in prelims on Saturday with a time of 8.67 seconds, and backed it up by running 8.64 seconds in the finals to earn gold. Green-White also placed eighth in the 200 meters at 25.90 seconds.
In the 60 meters, freshman A'jaylah Yates took fourth place at 7.64 seconds, with sophomore Kiera Taylor in sixth at 7.78 seconds and freshman Alonda Shelton in seventh place at 7.82 seconds. Taylor added a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters with a career-best time of 25.36 seconds.
Tusculum's 4x400 relay of Yates, Green-White, Taylor and Shelton took fifth place at 4:06.37.
Wingate finished in first place with 207 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne with 131 points in second and Carson-Newman in third with 68 points, just ahead of Catawba in fourth with 66 points.
South Atlantic Conference Championship
Day 2 of 2 - at Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tusculum results
MEN
60: 4. Marquel Pittman, 6.91.
200: 6. Marquel Pittman, 22.51.
400: 3. Zack Nelson, 50.13; 7. Stephen Brewer, 52.35.
3000: 18. Sam Shipp, 8:40.38.
4x400: 1. Tusculum (Craven, Nelson, Cunningham, Bogus), 3:21.53.
Triple jump: 2. Daryl Smith Jr., 15.13m (49-7 3/4); 7. Joshua Stephens, 14.40m (47-3).
Shot put: 2. Adrian Gumm, 15.02m (49-3 1/2) (school record); 6. Dylan Horne, 14.29m (46-10 3/4); 14. Gavin Rowell, 12.84m (42-1 1/2).
Team standings: 1. Wingate 177; 2. Lenoir-Rhyne 132; 3. Tusculum 55; 4. Anderson 53; 5. Carson-Newman 49.5; 6. Newberry 48; 7. Catawba 46; 8. Limestone 31; 9. Lincoln Memorial 21; 9. Mars Hill 21; 11. Emory & Henry 20; 12. Coker 5; 13. UVA Wise 3.5.
WOMEN
60: 4. A'jaylah Yates, 7.64; 6. Kiera Taylor, 7.78; 7. Alonda Shelton, 7.82.
60 hurdles: 1. Theresa Green-White, 8.64 (school record).
200: 4. Kiera Taylor, 25.36; 8. Theresa Green-White, 25.90.
3000: 27. Inmaculada Delgado, 11:13.32.
4x400: 5. Tusculum (Yates, Green-White, Taylor, Shelton), 4:06.37.
Shot put: 18. Amber Hogan, 10.37m (34-1/4).
Team standings: 1. Wingate 207; 2. Lenoir-Rhyne 131; 3. Carson-Newman 68; 4. Catawba 66; 5. Anderson 57; 6. Limestone 38; 7. Tusculum 31; 8. Lincoln Memorial 29; 9. Newberry 24; 10. Mars Hill 6; 11. Emory & Henry 4; 12. UVA Wise 2; 13. Coker 0.
