Bulldogs Wrap Up Day One of Big South Outdoor Championships

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The UNC Asheville track and field team opened the Big South Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Monday (May 11) with five Bulldogs scoring team points and four athletes qualifying for event finals.

On the men's side, Asheville sits in fifth place with 8.5 points, while the women's team is seventh with two points.

POINTS ON THE BOARD

Nkosi Jeju earned a fourth-place finish in the men's long jump final with a mark of 7.29m, his second-best jump of the season.

In the same event, Max Smydra placed eighth and added a point for Asheville with a personal-best mark of 6.80m.

Jaelyn Arnold secured the final scoring position in the women's hammer throw, placing eighth with a throw of 44.90m.

Sophie Lundin posted an eighth-place finish in the women's 10,000m, crossing the line in 37:39.68 to score for the Bulldogs.

Dylan Metcalf tied for eighth place in the men's pole vault after clearing 3.47m.

FINALS QUALIFIERS AND PERSONAL BESTS

Competing in the 400m hurdles for the first time collegiately, Shemarr Session qualified for the men's final with a time of 54.10.

Isabel Richardson advanced to the women's 1,500m final with a qualifying time of 4:41.42 in Monday's prelims.

Jacoby Ennis also qualified for the men's 1,500m final, posting a personal-best time of 4:00.00. Tadiyos Sloan-Westmoreland advanced as well with a time of 4:00.28.

Will Wilkerson set a personal best of 44.37m in the men's hammer throw to place 12th, while Preston Reed also recorded a personal-best mark of 39.61m to finish 16th.

Christina Jones joined Arnold in the hammer throw and posted a personal-best mark of 42.82m to place 10th.

Addi Corl and Lauren Sochia both set personal bests in the women's 10,000m, placing 10th (38:53.52) and 11th (39:18.42), respectively. In the men's 10,000m, Quinn Jacquez placed seventh with a personal-best time of 31:17.03, while Asher Roach finished 13th in 32:37.51.

Additional personal bests for the Bulldogs included Alexis Vaughan in the women's 200m (25.05), Lily Kelpin in the women's 1,500m (4:55.31), Rodney Tabb in the men's 200m (22.33), Lance Surles in the men's 1,500m (4:02.78), Blake Hawks in the decathlon 100m (11.60) and 400m (53.53), Noah Henthorn in the decathlon 100m (11.85) and 400m (54.82), and Stephen Pryor in the decathlon long jump (6.34m).

DAY ONE OF THE MULTIS

Stephen Pryor leads the way for Asheville in the men's decathlon after five events, sitting fourth overall with 3,221 points. Pryor's top finish of the day came in the high jump, where he cleared 1.86m for a second-place finish while matching his outdoor personal best.

Blake Hawks sits sixth overall with 3,056 points, while Noah Henthorn is eighth with 2,776 points heading into day two of the decathlon.

To view full results from day one of the championships, click here.

A LOOK AT TOMORROW

Asheville resumes competition on Tuesday (May 12), beginning with the 110m hurdles in the men's decathlon at 12 p.m. Field events for the Bulldogs begin at 4 p.m. with the men's shot put, while running events start at 5 p.m. with the women's 100m hurdles.

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics