Mississippi College Men’s and Women’s Track Teams Finish Third at GSC Championships
Clinton, Miss. — The Mississippi College men’s and women’s track and field teams both finished third at the Gulf South Conference Outdoor Championships, which concluded after three days of competition. The teams earned several event titles, set conference records, and posted key scoring performances across multiple disciplines, according to the school.
On the opening day, the Choctaws made a historic impact in the throws. Jacob Keesee won the men’s hammer throw with a personal-best 57.60 meters (189 feet, 0 inches), setting both a GSC Championship and school record. James Miller finished second at 54.11 meters (177 feet, 6 inches). On the women’s side, Kennedy Thompson placed second in the hammer throw with a personal-best 49.40 meters (162 feet, 1 inch), while Rebekah Zweerink added points with a seventh-place finish at 42.78 meters (140 feet, 4 inches).
In distance events, Bre Bell finished second in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:35.01. Shana Sellers was sixth in 11:22.50, a personal best. On the men’s side, Matthew Singletary ran a personal-best 9:15.32 to finish fifth, ranking sixth all-time at Mississippi College. Baxter Friedman and Preston Speed finished eighth and ninth, respectively, with times of 9:21.24 and 9:28.96, both personal bests.
Other notable performances included Madison Flugence’s second-place leap of 5.59 meters (18 feet, 4 inches) in the long jump and Isabella Magyar’s third-place pole vault clearance of 3.25 meters (10 feet, 8 inches). Additional scorers for the team included Schyler Chambers, Bryan Puckett, Steven Conrad, and Ethan Belcher in various field events.
Day two featured a dominant decathlon performance. Jake McMillan won the men’s decathlon with 6,974 points, setting a GSC record and ranking No. 10 in NCAA Division II. Garrett Ross placed second, giving the Choctaws a 1–2 finish. On the track, Lauren Wallace and Christian Balcer finished third in the women’s and men’s 5,000 meters, respectively. Other scorers included Taylor Benoit and Kinley Harris in the women’s race, while Braedon Methvin competed in the men’s.
In field events, Rebekah Zweerink placed second in the women’s discus with a throw of 41.98 meters (137 feet, 9 inches). Kennedy Thompson and others added points in the discus and high jump, helping the teams maintain their overall third-place finishes.
The final day saw Mississippi College claim two consecutive titles in the men’s and women’s 400-meter hurdles. Haylei Mason and Matias Vasquez won the women’s and men’s races in 1:02.88 and 51.92, respectively. Vasquez’s time set a GSC Championship record and ranked him 18th in Division II. The team also swept the 800 meters, with Lauren Wallace and Gabe Hodson winning titles.
Additional highlights included Tristan Jusino-Lansing’s victory in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 14.39 seconds and the men’s 4×400-meter relay victory. In field events, Matthew Coleman won the men’s javelin with a throw of 61.62 meters (202 feet, 2 inches). Multiple athletes earned podium finishes in sprints, hurdles, distance, and relays, demonstrating the team’s depth.
Both teams finished third overall, with the meet marking the end of a historic regular season. Several athletes are now preparing for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for May 21-23 in Emporia, Kansas.
Source: Original Article
