For the first time since 1996, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns captured the Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship, contested at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
From the Sun Belt Conference:
With 142 team points, the Cajuns won their sixth overall title. They combined to win five events en route to the title, their most since 2010. Arkansas State finished second with 137 points as Texas State took third with 97.5.
Arkansas State’s Jacob Pyeatt was named the men’s top meet scorer with 22 points accumulated over the championship.
During the championship, 78 student-athletes recorded season best marks as a staggering 277 personal best marks were recorded over the two days. Over the past four years, 43 new meet records have been posted.
The meet came down to the men’s 4x400m relay, as Louisiana held just a point advantage over Arkansas State. Arkansas State ran in the first heat with a time of 3:16.78. The Louisiana team of Jonathan Gammara, Caemon Scott, Jarell Joseph and Lawson Jacobs secured the title in 3:12.33 to claim gold and the top podium spot in the final event.
Tuesday began with Arkansas State’s Colby Eddowes narrowly missing the meet record in the Heptathlon with 5738 total points. South Alabama’s Nic Glass claimed second with a personal best score of 5,185. Texas State’s Michael Hermes also recorded a personal best 5,175 to earn the bronze.
The men’s mile saw another meet record fall as ULM’s Juwan Blignaut finished atop the podium in 4:06.23. Louisiana’s Joseph Patterson earned the silver with a personal best time of 4:08.32 as South Alabama’s Sacha Perrier earned the bronze with a personal best time of 4:08.69.
Louisiana earned the most placements in the men’s 60m finals, however Southern Miss placed two on the podium. Kingsley Unorji claimed the gold in 6.71 as Louisiana’s Lawson Jacobs earned silver with a personal best 6.72. Gracious Ushie finished with the bronze for the Golden Eagles in 6.74.
Will Glass from Arkansas State won the 60m hurdles with a season best time of 7.79. ULM’s Devin Bilbo finished second on the podium in 7.83 as South Alabama’s Kendal White took third in 8.01.
The men’s 400m featured four Cajuns in the top eight as they claimed three of the top four spots. Lawson Jacobs set a new meet record with a personal best time of 45.92 to finish atop the podium. He was joined by teammate Caemon Scott, who placed second, with a personal best time of 47.62. Southern Miss’ Kelsey Singleton earned the bronze in 47.68.
Louisiana’s Joseph Patterson claimed the gold in the men’s 800m final as Joseph Patterson crossed the line in 1:51.80. Marshall’s Kazuma Bowring ran a season best 1:53.28 to earn the silver as Kamil Przybyla from Arkansas State finished third in 1:53.50.
Mark Daley from Louisiana claimed the men’s 200m final with a personal best time of 21.23. Texas State’s Drew Donley claimed silver in 21.31 as ULM’s J’Marcus Sewell earned the bronze in 21.40.
Jacob Pyeatt claimed the top spot in the men’s 3000m with a time of 8:13.91. ULM’s Juwan Blignaut took second in 8:16.57 with Sacha Perrier from South Alabama running a personal best 8:16.93 to win the bronze.
The first field event to finish was the men’s triple jump, as Louisiana’s Jeremy Nelson scored a season best mark of 15.75m/51-8.25 on his sixth round jump to secure the gold. ULM’s Stafon Roach jumped a personal best 15.73m/51-7.25 in his second jump to claim the silver. He was joined by teammate Jovan Canak on the podium, who earned a mark of 14.75/48-4.75 on his final jump to earn bronze.
Texas State’s Henry Buckles recorded a new meet record in the men’s shot put as the freshman recorded a personal best mark of 19.91m/65-4 to earn the gold. Southern Miss’ Piers Cameron also recorded a personal best mark of 18.85m/61-10.25 in the fifth round to earn silver. Arkansas State’s Willem Coertzen followed suite in the fifth round with a personal best mark of 18.48m/60-7.75 to win the bronze.
The final event before the 4x400 saw Texas State’s Kason O’Riley tie the meet record of 2.21m/7-3 to earn the gold. He was joined by teammate Aiden Hayes on the podium, who earned silver with a clearance of 2.18m/ 7-1.75. Southern Miss’ Zayne Palomino won the bronze with the same clearance to round out the podium.
The 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships are slated for March 14-15 at The Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Va. The NCAA will announce selections on March 4.
2025 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships (February 25, 2025)
Men’s Team Scores (Final):
1. Louisiana (142)
2. Arkansas State (137)
3. Texas State (97.5)
4. Southern Miss (94)
5. ULM (89)
6. South Alabama (73.5)
7. Marshall (28)
Meet Records Broken
Women’s DMR – Hannah Wyler, Brynn McKeever, McKenna Woodruff and Kylee Mastin, Marshall [11:29.22]
Women’s Mile – Kylee Mastin, Marshall [4:44.85]
Women’s Pole Vault – Carly Pujol, Arkansas State/Lilly Nichols, App State [4.18m/13-8.5]
Women’s Shot Put – Melanie Duron, Texas State [18.21m/59-9]
Women’s Weight Throw – Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State [21.75m/71-4.25]
Men’s 400M – Lawson Jacobs, Louisiana [45.92]
Men’s Mile – Juwan Blignaut, ULM [4:06.23]
Men’s Pole Vault – Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama [5.73m/18-9.5]
Men’s Shot Put – Henry Buckles, Texas State [19.91m/65-4
Sun Belt Records Broken
Men’s Pole Vault – Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama [5.73m/18-9.5]
Women’s Shot Put – Melanie Duron, Texas State [18.21m/59-9]
