Shelton wins shot put, Lions place ninth at SAC Indoor T&F Championships
The Mars Hill men’s and track & field team competed this weekend in the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet took place at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's and track & field team competed this weekend in the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet took place at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
All thirteen conference schools were represented at the conference qualifier. Twenty-one Lions took to the track, runways, and throwing surfaces this weekend – trips to the finals, event wins, personal bests, and new school records were set.
Highlights from the Field:
Jesse Shelton captured 1st place in the shot put with a throw of 16.20m (53' 1.75"). With his victory, Shelton earned 10 points for the men's team. Shelton currently ranks 16th in NCAA DII and waits to find out if he's punched his ticket to the National Championship Meet on March 8th-9th in Pittsburg, Kansas.
He also competed in the men's weight throw as well, earning a trip to the finals and placing 4th overall with a throw of 14.81m (48' 7.25"). Shelton earned an additional five points for the men's team.
Jared Benain qualified for both long jump and triple jump. Benain competed in long jump on day one of the championship weekend. He squeaked into the finals with a ninth place jump of 6.54m. The top nine jumpers from the preliminary flights advance to finals. With his last attempt in the finals, Benain moved up two spots to seventh place with a jump of 6.85m (22' 5.75"). Benain earned two points for the men's team.
Benain competed in triple jump on day two of the Championship. Benain kicked off the event with a personal best and new school record jump of 14.79m. He placed fifth overall in the event and earned four points for the men's team. Benain currently ranks 33rd in triple jump in NCAA DII.
Highlights from the Track:
Ethan Lee placed 19th in the 200m sprint with a time of 23.20s. This was his fastest 200m on an indoor surface.
The men's distance medley relay team comprised of Lee, Brandon Wright, Gabriel Hunt, and Braxton Cummings finished with their best time on the year of 11:01.53. The men placed 11th overall in the conference.
The men's team finished ninth overall with a combined team score of 21 points. This marks the teams highest finish in recent years.
The Lions next transition to the outdoor season. The first competition is the L-R Bears Opener, Saturday, March 16th at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
