BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Alabama delivered a standout performance at the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships inside the Birmingham CrossPlex, highlighted by multiple conference titles, podium finishes, and dominant efforts in the distance and field events. The Jaguar men placed third with 102 points, while the women finished fifth with 53 points across the two-day championship meet.
South Alabama was led by individual conference champions Charleen Elizondo, Brady Keller, and Terek Logan, along with a gold-medal performance from the men's distance medley relay, as the Jaguars stacked points throughout the meet.
Elizondo anchored a dominant weekend for the Jaguar distance squad, sweeping the women's 3000 and 5000 meters. She first captured the 3000-meter title in 9:42.28 before returning Tuesday to win the 5000 meters in a school-record time of 16:38.49, completing the distance double and accounting for 20 team points.
On the men's side, freshman Brady Keller continued his breakout indoor campaign by claiming the conference crown in the mile, pulling away late to win in 4:15.94. Keller later teamed with Brody Hamilton, Jordan Morrison, and Blayton Bernard to capture the distance medley relay title in 10:03.40, delivering a pivotal momentum swing in the team standings.
In the field events, Terek Logan soared to the men's pole vault championship with a clearance of 5.23 meters, leading a dominant 1-2 finish as Will Frederick matched the height to earn runner-up honors. Grayson Venezia added a seventh-place finish, giving the Jaguars three vaulters inside the top seven.
Jonathan Henderson secured bronze in the men's high jump after clearing 2.13 meters, while Kayden Engel earned runner-up honors in the women's high jump, tying for second with a clearance of 1.74 meters to contribute key points toward the team total.
Samuel Mika added another podium finish in the men's weight throw, placing third to score valuable points.
On the track, Nieko Garnes turned in a strong runner-up performance in the men's 400 meters, clocking 47.81 in the final.
In the hurdles, Presleigh Montalvo earned bronze in the women's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.38, while Jadon Thomason also reached the podium on the men's side, finishing second overall in 7.93.
The Jaguars received key contributions in the multi-events and relays as well. Jamie Willis placed third in the indoor pentathlon with 3,740 points, highlighted by a strong hurdles showing and consistency across all five disciplines. Calli Stokes added a sixth-place finish in the pentathlon with 3,545 points to bolster the team total.
Jordan Morrison scored in the men's 800 meters with a fifth-place finish in 1:53.84, while Avery Childress added points in the 200-meter final, placing fifth in 21.59. The men's 4x400-meter relay closed out the championships with a fourth-place finish in 3:13.95.
Texas State swept both team titles, totaling 140.5 points on the men's side and 126.5 on the women's side, while Louisiana placed second in both competitions.
Up Next
The Jaguars will now gear up for the USA Outdoor Invitational (March 13–14) at Jaguar Track in Mobile, Ala., while select athletes prepare for the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 13–14).
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