Final Results
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Kaitlyn Beans, Emilie Berge and Rafael Scott each earned individual titles Tuesday to highlight the University of South Alabama track and field team's final day of competition at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championship held at the Birmingham Complex.
The Jaguar men recorded 79 points to place fifth out of the eight teams competing, while the women finished in fourth with 73.5 points among 12-team field.
"I'm disappointed with our overall team scores," head coach Paul Brueske said. "We had a few events that didn't turn out the way we wanted; however, we had some good individual efforts and set a couple of school records. That's a positive coming out of this meet and I think that we will continue to get better."
Texas-Arlington took home top honors on the men's side with 133.5 total points, while Texas State recorded 166 points on the women's side, 67 points better than the Mavericks who had 99 points.
Beans added an additional gold medal after winning the women's long jump on Monday with a first-place performance in the women's triple jump, giving the Montgomery, Ala., native first-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors. The senior claimed the triple jump title recording a 12.80-meter mark, the second consecutive year she has won the discipline.
"Kaitlyn really had a fantastic meet," Brueske said. "I couldn't be more pleased with her two gold medals and a school record."
Kristina Szabo also added two points to the Jaguar women's team score with a seventh-place finish in the event (12.29m) and Taylor Young finished in 10th with a distance of 11.79m.
Berge also earned first-team all-league honors in the pentathlon after placing at least third in all five events with second-place finishes in the 800m, long jump and shot put. The freshman recorded two personal best marks in the high jump (1.68m) and shot put (11.64m). The 3,947-point score is a Sun Belt season best and a new personal best for Berge as she is now less than 50 points shy of the South Alabama school record set by Lindsay Schwartz in 2012 (3,996). Sophomore Olivia Swan placed ninth in the event with 3,210 points.
"It was a phenomenal meet for Emilie, especially as a true freshman," Brueske said. "I'm excited about her and her potential moving forward."
The Iveland, Vest-Agder, Norway, native earned the Jaguar women three additional points finishing sixth in the women's 60m-hurdles with a time of 8.77, a career best.
Berron Tyson was eighth in the same event on the men's side with a time of 8.47 and seventh in the heptathlon with 4789 points.
After posting one of the top times in the country in the 60-meter dash earlier this year, Scott won the Sun Belt event for the second-consecutive indoor season. The junior sprinter recorded a 6.67-second finish to earn first-team all-conference honors. Scott also competed in the men's 200m after qualifying for the top eight on Monday, but suffered a cramp in the final race to finish eighth while still contributing a point to the South Alabama men's team score.
"Scott looked strong in the 60m and was poised to finish all-conference in the 200m, but his hamstring tightened and he had to pull up," Brueske explained.
Megan James claimed silver in the women's pole vault after clearing a personal best 3.82m for second-team all-Sun Belt honors. The second-place finish for James marks the best finish in a Sun Belt Conference meet for the junior who placed fifth in the event last indoor season. Caitlyn Dressler tied for fourth clearing 3.67m and Ireland Armstrong finished seventh clearing 3.67m to add five-and-a-half points to James' eight earned in the event. Freshman vaulter Savannah Howie just missed out on a top-10 performance as she tied for 11th with Appalachian State's Hannah Emery with a height of 3.52m.
"Megan has really overcome a lot of adversity over the last few years," Brueske said. "It was really great to see her stand on that podium. We are very proud of her."
Lezyon Legarde earned an all-league finish with bronze in the men's triple jump marking a school record with a 15.27m jump to earn third-team accolades. The senior surpassed the former record of 15.12m set in 2014 by Jaylon Holt.
After claiming third in the women's 3,000m on Monday, Laura Labuschaigne once again made it to the championship podium with a third-place finish in the women's mile run crossing the line with a time of 4:55.25 to earn third-team all-league honors. Three other Jaguars — Nicole Durham (13th, 5:10.54), Kailee Kiminski (16th, 5:11.31) and Gillianne Sharp (17th, 5:14.92) — competed in the event, all finishing within the top 20.
"Lagarde has a rigorous academic schedule, but he has really risen to the occasion and had his best meet yet finishing with a school record and earning all-conference," Brueske said. "Laura is also a huge asset to the team. She is so dependable and had a great meet as well."
Nathan Riech placed third in the men's mile run with a 4:13.12-minute finish to contribute six points to the Jaguar men's team and earn third team all-conference. Ben Rolander (ninth, 4:16.84), Migael Strydom (10th, 4:17.33) and Luke Fielding (12th, 4:18.31) all competed in the event and finished the event within two seconds of one another. Cameron Ellis was 20th with a time of 4:32.02.
Katleho Dyoyi (14:47.69) just missed a top-3 finish in the men's 5,000m by less than one second to place fourth in the event and earn the Jaguars five points. Philip Friedlander (15:36.32) and David Savic (15:47.43) also represented South Alabama in the event, finishing 17th and 18th, respectively.
In the shot put, four Jaguar men finished within the top 12 with junior Matt Weinhold leading the group with a fifth-place 16.82-meter mark to give the men six points. Thomas Boyd added two more points recording a 16.60-meter throw for seventh place. Senior Jan-Louw Kotze placed 10th with 14.59-meter toss, while Zach Blahnik rounded off the Jaguars at 12th with a throw for 14.28m.
For the women in the same event two Jaguars — Autavia Fluker (eighth, 14.17m) and Lamia Miller (ninth, 14.15m) — finished in the top 10. Freshman Michella Obijiaku recorded a distance of 12.54 meters on her first throw, but fouled on each of her last two attempts to place 18th in the event.
"We had a few events that we were expecting more points from during the meet, but I believe we have potential to be strong in outdoors again," Brueske said. "I know the student-athletes are looking forward to the outdoor season. Everyone just has to commit and continue to work hard and improve."
South Alabama will open the outdoor track and field season on March 3 as USA hosts the Jaguar Opener.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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