MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama Track & Field put together a strong opening-day performance at the 2026 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships, with the Jaguar men leading the team standings and the women sitting in third after Thursday's action at Jaguar Track in Mobile.
The South Alabama men totaled 29 points through three scored events to hold the top spot in the team standings, while the women collected 31 points and remained within striking distance heading into day two of competition.
The Jaguars were powered by dominant performances in the throws and distance events, highlighted by a pair of conference champions in Reuben Booysen and Charleen Elizondo.
Booysen delivered one of the top throws in the nation in the men's javelin, launching a season-best mark of 71.48m (234-6) to claim gold and move up to No. 21 nationally. South Alabama added another podium finish in the event as sophomore Brody Hamilton secured bronze with a final-round throw of 60.37m (198-0), while Mose Piper added points for the Jaguars with a fifth-place finish.
Elizondo closed out the evening by capturing the women's 10,000 meters title in 36:36.81, finishing nearly nine seconds ahead of the field to earn South Alabama's second gold medal of the opening day.
South Alabama also found success in the field events as Dianna Goodman earned silver in the women's pole vault after clearing a personal-best 4.03m (13-2.5), which also ranks sixth in program history.
In the hammer throw, Samuel Mika climbed two spots during finals to secure bronze and record the fourth-best mark in program history with a throw of 63.52m (208-4). On the women's side, Iyana Johnson placed fifth with a mark of 60.80m (199-5), moving to fifth all-time in program history.
The Jaguars added more points in the women's javelin, where Ava Wheaton placed fourth with a personal-best throw of 47.51m (155-10), the sixth-best mark in school history, while Calli Stokes added a ninth-place finish.
South Alabama also positioned itself well in the combined events. Samuel Warriner sits in second place in the decathlon with 4,033 points, while on the women's side, Stokes is fourth in the heptathlon with 3,047 points, and Jamie Lynn is fifth with 2,931 points.
On the track, several Jaguars advanced to Saturday's finals. Emily Miles qualified for the women's 1500m final after running 4:39.15, while Brady Keller advanced in the men's 1500m with a time of 3:47.76.
The Jaguars also advanced three athletes to the men's 400m hurdles final as Nieko Garnes, Bo Webb, and Omari Taylor all secured qualifying spots.
Up Next
The Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships resume Friday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT with the final events of the decathlon before evening track prelims begin at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
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