BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After one full day of competition at the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships the University of South Alabama men are tied for first place with Arkansas State while the women are currently in second. During the first day's festivities the Jaguars had three champions and 11 individuals overall earn all-league honors including the women's distance medley relay team. 

MEET INFORMATION
Date: Feb. 24
Meet: Sun Belt Indoor Conference Championships 
Host: Sun Belt Conference 
Site: Birmingham CrossPlex (Birmingham, Ala.)
Results

NOTES
- Emilie Berge and Hanna-Mai Vaikla were the first Jags to earn all-conference honors at this year's league championships. The teammates took second (4021 pts.) and third (3792 pts.), respectively, in the pentathlon.  
- Autavia Fluker was the first South Alabama student-athlete to be crowned a 2020 Sun Belt Conference Champion Monday. The redshirt senior won the shot put (15.34m) for the second consecutive year. Angeline Smit also picked put points for the Jags in the event taking fourth place (13.89m) 
- Rickssen Opont was the first all-conference performer and conference champion on the men's side. The graduate transfer won the league title in the shot put (16.47m), the first Sun Belt title of his career.  
- Carolien Millenaar set a new program record at the 5000-meter distance. Her time of 16:50.52 earned a second-place finish and all-conference honors. 
- Noah Mumme earned his first Sun Belt Championship in the pole vault, winning the event in a jump off against Louisiana's Chandler Mixon. Mumme's vault of 5.11m is the fourth best mark in program history. Connor Allred finished third (4.91m) to take all-conference honors and move into eighth all-time in the Jaguar record books. Evans Finnorn also placed sixth for the Jaguars, moving into the 10th spot all-time in South Alabama program history (4.81m). 
- Harry Barthelemy recorded the sixth best long jump mark in program history with a new personal best mark of 7.01m. He placed ninth in the event.  
- Onesmus Kemboi ran a personal best 14:40.91 in the 5000 meters, a time good enough for fourth place. 
- The women's DMR team of Cierra Hedrick, Shay Lee, Abbey Weitenbeck and Adele Magaud capped off the first day of competition by taking third place and earning all-league honors.    
- Four Jaguars qualified for tomorrow's finals during the opening day of competition including: Xavier Rogers, who ran a season best (49.04) in the 400 meters, Shay Lee (800m), Sijle Lindstad, set a new personal record (4:58.71) and the sixth fastest time in program history in the mile, and Warno Potgieter (mile).
- During day one of competition 12 individuals established new personal records: Allred (pole vault), Barthelemy (long jump), Roccio Chaparro (60mH), Finnorn (pole vault), Kemboi (5000m), Lindstad (mile), Millenaar (5000m), Mumme (pole vault), Kiara Risher (60m), Brylan Shirely (long jump), Micayah Upshaw (long jump), and Vaikla (high jump, 60mH, shot put, pentathlon)   
- Competition resumes at 9 a.m. (CST) with the men's heptathlon. Field events are set to begin at 11:30 a.m. with the women's high jump and running is scheduled for 2 p.m. start with the women's mile.  

UP NEXT
- The Jags will return to action tomorrow for the second, and final day, of the Sun Belt Indoor Track and Field Championships. 

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Paul Brueske
- On day one: "We had some people really step up for us on day one. The vaulters did fantastic with Noah Mumme winning, Connor Allred earning all-Sun Belt honors and Evans Finnorn stepped up and scored point for us. I am very proud of those guys. Rickssen Opont and Tata [Autavia] Fluker did what they had to do to win the shot put. Carolien Millenaar had a tremendous personal best and school record in the 5000-meter run. Emilie Berge and Hanna-Mai Vaikla medaled in the pentathlon, and Emilie also scored in the long jump. Shay Lee not only made finals in the 800 meters but helped the DMR along with Cierra Hedrick, Abbey Weitenbeck, and Adele Magaud to an all-conference finish. Silje Lindstad moved up the all-time list in the mile and also qualified for finals. Xavier Rogers qualified in the 400 meters and Warno Potgieter made finals in the mile. It was also good to see [Onesmus] Kemboi in the 5000 meters and in the DMR able to score points for the team coming off an injury."
- On tomorrow's competition: "Tomorrow is a new day. We have to come out focused and do well in the events that we are supposed to do well in. We also need some more student-athletes to step up like we had today."

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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