MOBILE, Ala. (5/15/21) – Many individuals and teams have a particular color they prefer to wear on championship day. For the Arkansas State track and field teams, that color is scarlet.
That only meant one thing: A-State was primed and ready to compete for yet another Sun Belt Conference sweep on Saturday at Jaguar Track. The Red Wolves succeeded in doing so, with the women capturing their second straight outdoor title and sixth straight track and field and cross-country championship. In doing so, the Scarlet and Black added the final jewel to the first Sun Belt Triple Crown in program history. A-State's men claimed their second outdoor championship in the last three meets.
A-State scored big points in several events, including a trio of individual champions on the final day, running the final tally to seven event champions (three men, four women) for the Scarlet and Black. On the men's side, the Red Wolves finished with 164 points - 32 points ahead of host South Alabama in second place. The women won with 139 total points, 26.5 ahead of the Jaguars, who led by 23.5 points entering the day.
Bennett Pascoe notched his second gold medal – and meet record – of the weekend, winning the 1500m in 3:45.31 ahead of Seth Waters' runner-up finish in 3:47.79. Gregoire Saury also scored in the event, finishing fifth.
Babette Vandeput won the second conference discus title of her career, uncorking a personal-best throw of 53.78m (176-5.0) to lead three scorers that allowed A-State to take a lead entering the track finals. Evangelynn Harris earned silver with a personal-best throw of 51.10m (167-8.0), while Grace Flowers placed fifth with a toss of 49.50m (162-5.0).
Lexington Hilton closed the day taking gold in the men's 5000m, breaking his own school record with a time of 14:10.79 – nearly 12 full seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher. Pascoe placed fourth, crossing the finish in 14:24.02.
Imani Udoumana took silver in the triple jump, finishing just a centimeter behind the winner with a mark of 12.82m (42-0.75). Johnaya Givens placed fourth with a personal-best jump of 12.33m (40-5.5).
In the men's discus, Eron Carter notched a silver-medal finish, tossing a personal-best 54.65m (179-3.0).
Sophie Leathers garnered silver in the women's 5000m, running 17:02.16 to lead a 16-point effort for the women's squad. In the 1500m, Pauline Meyer finished second in 4:27.33 ahead of the fourth-place Elizabeth Martin, who crossed the finish in 4:33.49.
Jermie Walker picked up silver in both the 200m and 400m, running a wind-aided 20.79 after clocking a personal-best 46.48 in the 400m to move up to fourth in school history. Addison Ross finished fifth, running the 400m in 47.56.
In the 400m hurdles, Darrian Lockett collected a silver medal while Daidren Davis earned bronze, with Lockett running a personal-best 52.26. Ke'Von Holder and Will Glass scored in the 110m hurdles, placing fourth and sixth, respectively, while Rainee Bowers finished fifth in the 100m hurdles. Chris Hill placed fifth in the 100m, clocking a time of 10.52.
Frank Massey and Dylan Western each scored in the men's high jump, with Massey earning bronze by clearing 2.13m (6-11.75). Western placed eighth with a mark of 1.97m (6-5.5).
Carter Shell picked up a bronze medal in the men's triple jump, leaping 14.91m (48-11.0). In the men's pole vault, Bradley Jelmert cleared 5.01m (16-5.25) to place sixth.
NEXT UP
A-State will now look ahead to the NCAA West Prelims, held May 26-29 at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas, where a handful of Red Wolves will compete for spots in the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State track and field program, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @Arkansas_State_Track on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.
