A-State track leading after Day 1 of Sun Belt Indoor Championships

Four Arkansas State track and field athletes captured gold on Monday to highlight a stellar first day for the Red Wolves at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships inside the Birmingham Crossplex.

Six athletes earned podium finishes as A-State finished the first day atop the team standings on both the men’s and women’s sides. The men totaled 55 points to lead second-place South Alabama, which carries 47.5 points into Tuesday. A-State’s women tallied 32 points, with the Jaguars in second with 25.

Courtney Thomas was first atop the podium, winning the men’s long jump with a season-best jump of 7.54m (24-9) on his final attempt. Colby Eddowes placed fourth with a mark of 7.27m (23-10.25) to give A-State’s men’s team 15 early points.

Aimar Palma Simo took the top spot in the men’s weight throw, hurling the implement a career-long 20.25m (66-5.25). Jacob Tracy added a point with an eighth-place result, tossing a personal-best 17.00m (55-9.25).

In the men’s pole vault, Bradley Jelmert topped the podium with a clearance of 5.30m (17-4.5). His mark was nearly a foot better than the runner-up.

On the track, Pauline Meyer captivated the crowd with a spectacular finish to win the women’s 5000 meters, outkicking the leader to win by six hundredths of a second and running a school-record 16:38.50. Sarah Trammel placed fourth with a career-best 16:55.70, while Sophie Leathers added two points with a time of 17:05.91.

Hannah Morris earned silver in the women’s long jump to end the day, jumping a collegiate-best 6.22m (20-5) to move to second all-time in program history. Camryn Newton-Smith jumped 6.02m (19-9) to place sixth.

Jacob Pyeatt took bronze in the men’s 5000 meters as part of 14 points scored in the event. Ethan Mychajlonka followed in fourth (14:42.27) while Nathan Herbst placed seventh (14:55.06) and Nati Enright crossed in 14:59.69 to place eighth.

A-State also saw several athletes advance through prelims on the track on Monday. Meyer led four Red Wolves in the women’s mile prelims, clocking a time of 4:57.75. Rahel Broemmel finished in 4:57.80 to win her heat, while Elizabeth Martin and Anna Hunter also earned automatic qualifying finishes.

Five Red Wolves qualified for the men’s mile final, led by Hannes Fahl, who posted a mark of 4:12.61. Cash Kunkel clocked a personal-best time of 4:13.04, joining Fahl, Ryan Parson, Grayson Young and Dawson Mayberry in Tuesday’s final.

Will Glass broke the school record in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a mark of 7.84, with Eddowes finishing behind him in the heat with a personal-best time of 7.95. Tyra Nabors and Newton-Smith qualified on time in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, with Nabors running a career-best 8.43 that ranks fourth in program history.

Jonae Cook advanced to the final in the 60 meters and 200 meters, winning her heats in both events. In the latter, she ran a blistering time of 23.80 to rank second in school history. Myles Thomas moved on in the men’s events, winning in 6.77 and 21.38, respectively. The freshman’s 200-meter time is second-fastest in school history.

A-State had top qualifying marks in both the men’s and women’s 800 meters, with Cheyenne Melvin running 2:11.46 before Fahl led a pack of four Red Wolves in the men’s prelim. Fahl finished in 1:53.30 ahead of Lasse Funck (1:54.43), Andrew Westphal (1:56.03) and Handre Jonker (1:56.16).

Jermie Walker posted the sixth-best mark in the men’s 400-meter prelims to qualify for Tuesday’s final, running a season-best 48.51.

In the DMR, A-State’s men’s quartet placed fourth (10:13.90) while the women finished fifth (11:59.32).

NEXT UP

A-State looks to hold its lead and successfully defend its team titles Tuesday during the final day of competition at the conference championships, which will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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