JONESBORO, Ark. – For the second consecutive year, the University of South Alabama women's track and field team finished third in the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championship, totaling 127 points. The men's team placed fifth with a final of 89 points.
Three Jaguar records fell Sunday, as Sean Collins (pole vault), Harry Barthelemy (high jump) and Hunter Appling (110m hurdles) had personal-best performances. Collins, a senior, won the Sun Belt title for the fourth time in as many seasons and cleared 5.53m (18-01.75) to break the conference record he set in 2016.
Christian Ellis (triple jump) and Olivia Swan (400m hurdles) claimed first-team all-conference honors with wins in their respective events. The men's 4 x 400m relay squad of Javen Jackson, Cam Martin-Stewart, Jalen Boyd and Xavier Rogers earned third-team all-Sun Belt recognition after a season-best 3:13.19 finish.
MEET INFORMATION
Event: 2019 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships
Date: May 10-12
Host: Arkansas State
Site: Arkansas State University Track & Field/Cross Country Complex
Live Results
ESPN Coverage Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
NOTES
Men's Track
-Appling's 14.04-second 110m hurdles time earned the freshman first-team all-conference recognition and set a new Jaguar record. It was the best time in the Sun Belt this year.
-Larry Lombard claimed five team points with a 1:51.39 time in the 800m. The senior now ranks fourth in the conference and on the all-time USA performance list.
-Onesmus Kemboi took fourth in the 5,000m with a time of 14:49.29. Thomas Sand Nielsen ran a personal-best 15:01.29 in the event.
-Jackson completed the 400m hurdles in a career-record 52.98 seconds.
-The 4 x 100m relay team ran its best race of the season in 41.25 seconds.
Women's Track
-Swan claimed first place and 10 team points in the 400m hurdles, finishing the event in a Sun Belt season-best 59.67 seconds. The senior is the only conference athlete to complete the event in less than one minute this year.
-Carolien Millenaar ran the eighth-fastest 5,000m time in Jaguar history, 17:29.82, for three team points. The sophomore claimed five more points with a fourth-place, 4:36.62 time in the 1,500m.
-The 4 x 100m relay team crossed the line in a season-best time of 48.59 seconds.
Men's Field
-Collins' pole vault mark ranks fourth in the NCAA East Region and 11th in the nation. He took the facility record for the Arkansas State University Track & Field/Cross Country Complex, clearing the height on his first attempt.
-Barthelemy earned third-team all-Sun Belt honors with a 2.08m (6-09.75) high jump. The freshman tied a USA record set in 1983.
-Ellis' 15.26m (50-00.75) triple jump was good for first place and 10 team points.
-Chris Taylor had a season-best 4.93m (16-02.00) pole vault to finish fifth and add four points to the team score, while freshman Nick Napier recorded a personal-best 4.63m (15-02.25) effort.
-Senior Jobi Finau closed his Sun Belt career with a 51.13m (167-08.75) discus throw that picked up three team points and was his best mark since 2016.
Women's Field
-Angeline Smit and Jessie Droogsma contributed a combined 8 points to the team score with discus throws of 44.41m (145-08.25) and 43.50m (142-08.50), respectively.
-Micayah Upshaw's 11.73m (38-06.00) triple jump was a career-best.
UP NEXT
Selected student-athletes will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round May 23-25.
QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On team performances: "The effort was outstanding. On the men's side we had a couple things that didn't go as planned. We were hoping for a higher finish, one that we're capable of, but I can't fault the effort. I feel excited about the men's future. We've got a lot of young athletes; we lost Graham Collins to an injury. We have a lot really talented freshman, especially on the men's side. Most of our 4 x 400m relay team were freshmen; one was a sophomore. We also redshirted a few freshmen and have a good recruiting class. I think we're just going to get better and better. The women worked hard. It was tough; we ended up one point out of second. We had our opportunities. There were a couple things that didn't go our way and it cost us. Overall, I was pleased with the effort. We're going to get ready for NCAA regionals now."
On Sean Collins:"He's faced so much adversity over the past four years. As a freshman, he had a traumatic injury and we weren't even sure that he would ever be able to pole vault again. He struggled with these injuries but he's persevered and worked hard. He went out there today and had a performance which was close to flawless. It was great to see him in his final outdoor Sun Belt meet come out and set the conference, school, and facility record. It couldn't have happened to a better guy."
On Barthelemy: "He's just a freshman and he's got real talent. He's still trying to figure things out, but to come in as a true freshman and earn all-conference honors is not easy. I think he's got a bright future ahead of him. I look for him to continue to score points in the jumps."
On Appling:"He's an Alabama native who is running the college hurdles faster than he ran the lower high school hurdles. He's come in, adapted quickly and improved dramatically. He won a tough event (110m hurdles), set our school record and qualified for junior nationals."
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
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