BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's and men's track & field programs finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 2019 Sun Belt Indoor Championship which saw junior Emilie Berge set a new conference pentathlon record and lead the women with 28 of the team's 69 points. The men's team accumulated 65.5 points over the two-day event.
 
Berge shattered the Sun Belt pentathlon record set by fellow Jaguar Lindsay Schwartz in 2012, while Graham Collins (heptathlon) and Christian Ellis (triple jump) surpassed the all-time South Alabama standards they set earlier this season.

MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 Sun Belt Indoor Track and Field Championship
Date: Feb. 18-19
Host: Sun Belt Conference
Site: Birmingham CrossPlex
Live Results

NOTES AND RESULTS
-Berge's record-setting 4,079-point effort included a first-place finish in the long jump (5.82m, 19-01.25). The junior had three personal-best performances and finished second in the 800m (2:22.91), shot put (12.26m, 40-02.75) and high jump (1.77m, 5-09.75). The high jump mark was the second-best in the Sun Belt this season and ranks third in the USA record books.  
-Sophomore Christian Ellis collected 10 team points and broke the South Alabama men's triple jump record for the second time this season with a 15.54m (51-00.00) mark that ranks as the best in the conference this year.
-Collins scored 5,166 points in the men's heptathlon to break his own school record, earn third-team all-conference honors, and add six points to the team total. The freshman finished first in the pole vault (4.60m, 15-01.00) and second in the 1,000m (2:48.93) Tuesday; both were personal-best efforts.
-Autavia Fluker had a 15.27m (50-01.25) shot put throw on her second attempt to win the event and add 10 points to the USA women's team total. Angeline Smit's fifth-place, 13.62m (44-08.25) throw picked up an additional four points.
-The men's 4 x 400m team of junior Javen Jackson and freshmen Jalen Boyd, Cam Martin-Stewart and Xavier Rogers finished second in the event and collected eight points.
-Two Jaguars had career-best 5,000m races. Carolien Millenaar crossed the line in 17:40.46, collecting four women's team points and remaining at seventh on the all-time South Alabama performance list. On the men's side, Onesmus Kemboi finished fourth and added five points after covering the distance in 14:45.19; the time eclipsed his previous personal-best by more than five seconds.
-In the men's high jump, Harry Barthelemy cleared a personal-best 2.04m (6-08.25) to add three points and move into a tie for third in the all-time Jaguar records. Sam Brown's career-high 1.94m (6-04.25) mark ranks seventh on the school performance list.
-Senior Thomas Boyd's 16.22m (53-02.75) shot put mark was a season-best effort which earned three points toward the men's team total. Larry Lombard (800m), Warno Potgieter (1 mile) and Hunter Appling (60m hurdles) added two points each from their respective events.
-Sophomore Cierra Hedrick picked up two points for the women's team with a season-best 25.18-second 200m effort and a 7.75-second 60m time.
-Olivia Swan's 3,586 pentathlon points rank sixth on the all-time Jaguar performance list. The senior added two team points with a win in the 800m (2:22.14), a tie for third in the high jump (1.71m, 5-07.25), and a personal-best mark in the long jump (5.33m, 17-06.00).
-Hanna-Mai Vaikla scored 3,394 points in the women's pentathlon, including a season-best 800m time of 2:32.17 and a fourth-place shot put mark of 11.51m (37-09.25).
 
UP NEXT
USA opens its outdoor schedule March 2 at the SLU Opener in Hammond, La. The NCAA Indoor Championships will be held March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.

QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On individual efforts: "We had some positives this week that we can build on for outdoor. Berge's performances were remarkable, especially when you consider she was just coming off the flu. Fluker and Michaela Preachuk stepped up in the throws. On the men's side, our newcomers Collins and Ellis had a very solid meet, breaking their school records in the process."
 
On the team performances: "Overall, we are not thrilled with our team finishes but the ingredients to have a good outdoor team are there. We had some mishaps over the last two days that cost us. But with a relatively young squad there are some areas we will get better in. We will regroup and focus on getting better each day. We had several personal-best performers. Many of our scorers are newcomers and will return."
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
 
Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub
 
—USA—