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For the third consecutive year, the Arkansas State men and women swept the Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships. The two-day event, which was held at the Birmingham CrossPlex, concluded on Tuesday.

The Red Wolves men finished with 162.5 total team points, marking the most points scored in an SBC men’s indoor championship since 2014. Texas State placed second with 127 points, while Louisiana was third with 119.

The Arkansas State women totaled 127 team points to claim the title. Texas State was second with 93 points and UTA was third with 82.

The Red Wolves are the only current member of the Sun Belt to have ever swept the men’s and women’s indoor team titles in three consecutive years. The record is held by Middle Tennessee State, which swept the indoor titles in four consecutive years from 2001-04.

For the Arkansas State men, it was their 10th all-time Sun Belt indoor crown. For the women, it was their seventh Sun Belt indoor championship. They marked the 19th and 20th conference championships (in all disciplines) under Arkansas State head coach Jim Patchell, making him the school’s winningest coach in terms of championship in A-State history.

The Sun Belt Championship Meet Records were virtually rewritten over the course of this year’s event, as 15 records were broken.

Among the most impressive of record breakers was Coastal Carolina sprinter Melissa Jefferson. Jefferson broke the Sun Belt indoor meet record in both the women’s 60-meter dash and the women’s 200-meter dash. Jefferson on Tuesday set the meet record en route to winning the women’s 60-meter dash in a time of 7.22. It broke her own meet record of 7.26, set less than 24 hours prior in the semifinal round of the event. The record of 7.28 entering this year’s meet had been held by NCAA Champion and professional athlete Sharika Nelvis, who competed for Arkansas State.

Jefferson then returned to set the meet record in the women’s 200-meter dash, winning in a time of 23:39, which broke the previous record of 23.45, set by FIU’s Sheri-Ann Brooks in 2005.

Both multi-events featured record-setting performances by athletes from UTA. Lucas Van Klaveren took home the men’s heptathlon title with a record score of 5,734, edging out Texas State’s Ben Collerton – who set the conference regular-season record of 5,506 earlier this season – by just three points. Jade Bontke claimed the women’s pentathlon crown with a score of 4,117, which broke the previous record of 4,079, set by South Alabama’s Emilie Berge in 2019.

Arkansas State’s Carter Shell swept the men’s horizontal jumps, winning the men’s triple jump with a personal-best mark of 15.30m/50-2.50. He became the first jumper in school history to sweep the horizontal jumps indoors.

UTA’s Bryson DeBerry won his second consecutive title in the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.14m/7-0.25, which was just shy of his own Sun Belt meet record of 2.20m/7-2.50, set last season.

Texas State’s Will Blazer captured the men’s shot put event with a toss of 17.02m/55-10.25. He entered the meet with the best mark in the conference this season at 17.30m/56-9.25.

Texas State’s Alyssa Wilson, a graduate transfer from UCLA, won her second event of the week in claiming the women’s shot put title with a throw of 16.15m/53-0. This came a day after setting the SBC meet record in the women’s weight throw.

UTA’s Abigail Kelly-Salo took home the league title in the women’s pole vault with a leap of 3.86m/12-8.

App State thrower Peighton Simmons won her second consecutive Sun Belt indoor women’s triple jump crown with a leap of 13.28m/43-7. For Simmons, it was a personal-best mark and the second-longest indoor triple jump in App State history.

Arkansas State’s Bennett Pascoe turned in a record-setting performance in the men’s mile with a meet-record time of 4:06.84. That smashed the previous meet record of 4:09.75, set by UTA’s Emil Blomberg in 2015. He led a 1-2 finish in that event as teammate Seth Waters placed second in 4:08.47.

Texas State’s Lee-Anne Blake won the women’s mile in 4:49.02. Blake was the 2022 conference leader in the event entering the meet.

ULM’s Keith Robinson won the men’s 60-meter dash title in a personal-best time of 6.74.

Arkansas State’s Ke’Von Holder won the men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.91. UTA’s Joel Bengtsson had set the meet record at 7.81 in the preliminaries on Monday, but DQ’d in Tuesday’s race.

Louisiana’s Serenity Rogers was victorious in the women’s 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.31.

Texas State’s Dominick Yancy won the men’s 400-meter dash in a meet-record time of 46.89. The previous meet record was 46.98, set by Middle Tennessee’s Godfrey Herring in 2001.

Coastal Carolina’s Jermaisha Arnold defended her title in the women’s 400-meter dash in 54.22, giving the Chanticleers titles in all three women’s sprint events.

Troy’s Edita Sklenska won the women’s 800-meter run by nearly two full seconds in a meet-record time of 2:07.46. That bested her previous SBC meet record of 2:08.34, set en route to last year’s event title.

Texas State’s Pedro Osorio Lopez won the men’s 800-meter run in a time of 1:51.01, while Louisiana’s Brock Appiah was the winner in the men’s 200-meter dash in a time of 21.24.

Louisiana’s Sophie Daigle, who on Monday won the women’s 5,000 meters, was the women’s 3,000-meter champion with a time of 9:52.82. South Alabama’s Kirami Yego also completed the 3K/5K sweep, capturing the men’s 3,000-meter run on Tuesday in a time of 8:18.73.

The Texas State men set a meet record in the men’s 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:11.29, breaking the previous record of 3:11.87, set by Western Kentucky in 2014. The UTA women won the 4×400-meter relay in 3:43.83.

The 2022 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships are slated for March 11-12 at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The NCAA will announce selections on March 1.

2022 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships (February 22, 2022)

Men’s Team Scores: 
1. Arkansas State (162.5)
2. Texas State (127)
3. Louisiana (119)
4. South Alabama (106.5)
5. UTA (69)
6. ULM (43)
7. Little Rock (32)

Women’s Team Scores: 
1. Arkansas State (127)
2. Texas State (93)
3. UTA (82)
4. Louisiana (80)
5. Coastal Carolina (75)
T6. App State (49)
T6. ULM (49)
8. South Alabama (38)
9. Troy (28)
10. Georgia State (25)
11. Georgia Southern (11)
12. Little Rock (4)

High-Point Scorers: 
Men: Dominick Yancy (Texas State), 20.5
Women: Jade Bontke (UTA), 23.5

Final Event Results From Tuesday

Men’s Heptathlon (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Lucas Van Klaveren (UTA), 5,734; 2. Ben Collerton (TXST), 5,731, 3. Chandler Mixon (UL), 5,521; 4. Sebastian Reyneke (USA), 5,356; 5. Simon Thor (TXST), 5,086; 6. Graham Collins (USA), 4,983; 7. Brylan Shirley (USA), 4,973; 8. Jorrdyn Dunn (UTA), 4,830.

Women’s Pentathlon (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Jade Bontke (UTA), 4,117; 2. Camryn Newton-Smith (ARST), 3,753; 3. Rebekka Schubert (ULM), 3,563; 4. Luize Opola (TXST), 3,515; 5. Isabel Daines (ARST), 3,473; 6. Rocio Chaparro (USA), 3,356; 7. Ines Garcia (TROY), 3,332; 8. Ivana Cecchetti (Louisiana), 3,238.

Men’s Triple Jump (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Carter Shell (ARST), 15.30m/50-2.50; 2. Christian Ellis (USA), 15.26m/50-0.75; 3. Jordan Wallace (LR), 15:10m/49-6.50; 4. Noah Herring (TXST), 15.03m/49-3.75; 5. John Joseph (UL), 14.95m/49-0.75; 6. Rylan Theyard (UL), 14.94m/49-0.25; 7. Marvin Walford (UTA), 14.77m/48-5.50; 8. Courtney Thomas (ARST), 14.61m/47-11.25.

Men’s High Jump (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Bryson DeBerry (UTA), 2.14m/7-0.25; 2. Frank Massey (ARST), 2.11m/6-11; 3. Ali Eren Unlu (ULM), 2.11m/6-11; 4. Johnathan Jones (LR), 2.08m/6-9.75; 5. Rylan Theyard (UL), 2.03m/6-8; T6. Kobe Cox (USA), 1.93m/6-4; T6. Dylan Western (ARST), 1.93m/6-4; 8. Ethan Sorrels (LR), 1.93m/6-4.

Men’s Shot Put (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Will Blaser (TXST), 17.02m/55-10.25; 2. Willem Coertzen (ARST), 17.00m/55-9.25; 3. Sebastian Loschner (USA), 16.75m/54-11.50; 4. Dias Redmond II (TXST), 16.23m/53-3; 5. Tyren Hannah (UL), 15.76m/51-8.50; 6. Francois Prinsloo (USA), 15.76m/51-8.50; 7. Jacob Tracy (ARST), 15.44m/50-8; 8. James Noles (TXST), 15.08m/49-5.75.

Women’s Pole Vault (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Abigail Kelly-Salo (UTA), 3.86m/12-8; 2. Riley Caudil (USA), 3.86m/12-8; 3. Lauren Beauchamp (ARST), 3.86m/12-8; 4. Cameron Martinez (UL), 3.76m/12-4; 5. Kynnedy Dennis (CCU), 3.76m/12-4; 6. Avery Shell (ARST), 3.76m/12-4; 7. Grace Shaffer (ARST), 3.76m/12-4; 8. Simona Cabella (UTA), 3.76m/12-0.

Women’s Triple Jump (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Peighton Simmons (APP), 13.28m/43-7; 2. Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi (ULM), 12.87m/42-2.75; 3. Jada Branch (APP), 12.69m/41-7.75; 4. Hassani Burris (APP), 12.40m/40-8.25; 5. Taylor Davis (UL), 12.26m/40-2.75; 6. Ariel Young (UL), 12.25m/40-2.25; 7. Breya Clark (LR), 12.12m/39-9.25; 8. Luize Opola (TXST), 12.12m/39-9.25.

Women’s Shot Put (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Alyssa Wilson (TXST), 16.15m/53-0; 2. Colette Uys (USA), 15.42m/50-7.25; 3. Evangelynn Harris (ARST), 15.40m/50-6.25; 4. Ebony Wolridge (TXST), 14.84m/48-8.25; 5. Chastery Fuamatu (ARST), 14.44m/47-4.50; 6. Calyha Brown (UTA), 14.30m/46-11; 7. Selase Sampram (ARST), 13.86m/45-5.75; 8. Lauryn Small (TXST), 13.76m/45-1.75.

Women’s Mile Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Lee-Anne Blake (TXST), 4:49.02; 2. Madeleine Rowe (UTA), 4:54.70; 3. Elizabeth Martin (ARST), 4:57.55; 4. Emma Devis (GSU), 4:58.81; 5. Molly Jones (CCU), 4:59.99; 6. Abbey Weitenbeck (USA), 5:01.37; 7. Kayla Wade (ARST), 5:01.75; 8. Haley Salsbury (UL), 5:05.55.

Men’s Mile Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Bennett Pascoe (ARST), 4:06.84; 2. Seth Waters (ARST), 4:08.47; 3. Pedro Osorio Lopez (TXST), 4:10.28; 4. Juwan Blignaut (ULM), 4:12.41; 5. Charlie Slaughter (USA), 4:14.26; 6. Lasse Funck (ARST), 4:16.07; 7. Gregoire Saury (ARST), 4:16.42; 8. Jose Alfonzo (UTA), 4:17.58.

Women’s 60-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Melissa Jefferson (CCU), 7.22; 2. Kiana Foster (UL), 7.39; 3. Sadi Giles (TXST), 7.42; 4. Iyana Gray (UTA), 7.47; 5. Shemia Odaine (UL), 7.54; 6. Jonae Cook (ARST), 7.54; 7. Kayla Sweeney (CCU), 7.55; 8. Kennedy London (UL), 7.71.

Men’s 60-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Keith Robinson (ULM), 6.74; 2. Brock Appiah (UL), 6.79; 3. Omari Walker (ARST), 6.81; 4. Trejun Jones (UL), 6.86; 5. Troy McKnight (LR), 6.86; 6. Robert Griffin (UTA), 6.91; 7. Caemon Scott (UL), 6.91; 8. Kashie Crockett (UL), 6.94.

Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Serenity Rogers (UL), 8.31; 2. Rainee Bowers (ARST), 8.35; 3. Sydney Clemens (CCU), 8.41; 4. Shani’a Bellamy (CCU), 8.43; 5. Jasmine Williams (ULM), 8.59; 6. Tyra Nabors (ARST), 8.68; 7. Chelby Melvin (ARST), 8.74; –. Kennedy London (UL), DQ.

Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Ke’Von Holder (ARST), 7.91; 2. Yves Cherubin (UL), 7.92; 3. Daniel Harrold (TXST), 7.95; 4. Darshon Turk (ULM), 8.04; 5. Kendal White (USA), 8.07; 6. Medric Roberson (UTA), 8.14; 7. Will Glass (ARST), 8.18; –. Joel Bengtsson (UTA), DQ.

Women’s 400-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Jermaisha Arnold (CCU), 54.22; 2. Mekenze Kelley (CCU), 54.66; 3. Scovia Ayikoru (GS), 54.83; 4. Fiebe Tengrootenhuysen (ULM), 55.44; 5. Tatyana Terrell )UTA), 55.71; 6. Jada Flemming (TXST), 56.95; 7. Chermariea Hardy (TXST), 57.38; –. Imani Flanagan (GSU), DNS.

Men’s 400-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Dominick Yancy (TXST), 46.89; 2. Brian West (TXST), 47.78; 3. Jarvis Miles (UTA), 47.99; 4. Nathan Fergusson (UL), 48.00; 5. Taahir Kelly (TXST), 48.18; 6. Antoni Hoyte-Small (UL), 48.40; 7. Cameron Stewart (USA), 51.44; 8. Xavier Rogers (USA), 54.35.

Women’s 800-Meter Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Edita Sklenska (TROY), 2:07.46; 2. Cheyenne Melvin (ARST), 2:09.74; 3. Lee-Anne Blake (TXST), 2:10.63; 4. Kimone Campbell (ULM), 2:11.67; 5. Emoni Coleman (UL), 2:13.76; 6. Nichole Harris (GS), 2:14.81; 7. Breanna Clark (TXST), 2:21.44; 8. Emma Devis (GSU), 2:23.96.

Men’s 800-Meter Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Pedro Osorio Lopez (TXST), 1:51.01; 2. Seth Waters (ARST), 1:52.34; 3. Jackson Cichon (UTA), 1:52.88; 4. Baptiste Depril-Dupre (UL), 1:53.48; 5. Micha Reed (UL), 1:53.76; 6. Lasse Funck (ARST), 1:54.79; 7. Joseph Patterson (UL), 1:54.91; 8. Jimmy Harris (UL), 1:56.34.

Women’s 200-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Melissa Jefferson (CCU), 23.39; 2. Iyana Gray (UTA), 23.70; 3. Sadi Giles (TXST), 23.84; 4. Kiana Foster (UL), 24.13; 5. Jonae Cook (ARST), 24.34; 6. Mekenze Kelley (CCU), 24.57; 7. Shani’a Bellamy (CCU), 24.58; 8. Tatyana Terrell (UTA), 24.70.

Men’s 200-Meter Dash (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Brock Appiah (UL), 21.24; 2. Dominick Yancy (TXST), 21.34; 3. Caemon Scott (UL), 21.43; 4. Kashie Crockett (UL), 21.50; 5. Ashton Callahan (TXST), 21.54; 6. Joel Bengtsson (UTA), 21.55; 7. Bervensky Pierre (TXST), 21.63; –. Jarvis Miles (UTA), DNS.

Women’s 3,000-Meter Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Sophie Daigle (UL), 9:52.82; 2. Sophie Leathers (ARST), 9:54.44; 3. Adele Magaud (USA), 9:57.77; 4. Marine Garnier (GSU), 10:01.19; 5. Macki Walsh (APP), 10:01.73; 6. Sophia Oury (ARST), 10:03.17; 7. Sarah Trammel (ARST), 10:06.07; 8. Alexis Svoboda (APP), 10:06.90.

Men’s 3,000-Meter Run (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Kirami Yego (USA), 8:18.73; 2. Jacob Pyeatt (ARST), 8:19.76; 3. Giacomo DeLuca (USA), 8:22.04; 4. Alfredo Corona (UTA), 8:25.48; 5. Grayson Young (ARST), 8:27.00; 6. Kwanele Mthembu (TXST), 8:28.02; 7. Bennett Pascoe (ARST), 8:34.40; 8. Nathan Herbst (ARST), 8:35.98.

Women’s 4×400-Meter Relay (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. UTA (3:43.83); 2. Coastal Carolina (3:43.97); 3. Troy (3:45.18); 4. ULM (3:45.75); 5. Texas State (3:45.85); 6. App State (3:47.43); 7. Arkansas State (3:47.94); 8. Louisiana (3:48.96).

Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay (Top-Eight Finishers)
1. Texas State (3:11.29); 2. Louisiana (3:12.07); 3. Arkansas State (3:17.85); 4. UTA (3:20.59); 5. ULM (3:20.77); 6. South Alabama (3:21.55); 7. Little Rock (3:27.61).

Meet Records Broken (Entire Meet)
Women’s 60-Meter Dash – Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina [7.22] – broke own Sun Belt record of 7.26 set in preliminaries
Women’s 200-Meter Dash: Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina [23.39]
Women’s 800-Meter Run – Edita Sklenska, Troy [2:07.46]
Women’s Weight Throw – Alyssa Wilson, Texas State [21.65m/71-0.50]
Women’s Pentathlon – Jade Bontke, UTA [4,117]
Women’s Pentathlon Long Jump – Jade Bontke, UTA [5.95m/19-6.25]
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Joel Bengtsson, UTA [7.81]
Men’s 400-Meter Dash – Dominick Yancy, Texas State [46.89]
Men’s Mile – Bennett Pascoe, Arkansas State [4:06.84]
Men’s 5,000 Meters – Kirami Yego, South Alabama [14:05.26]
Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay – Texas State [3:11.29] – Rolle, Kelly, Yancy, West
Men’s Heptathlon – Lucas Van Klaveren, UTA [5,734]
Men’s Heptathlon Long Jump – Lucas Van Klaveren, UTA; Chandler Mixon, Louisiana [7.09m/23-3.25]
Men’s Heptathlon 60-Meter Hurdles: Lucas Van Klaveren, UTA [8.21]
Men’s Heptathlon Pole Vault – Simon Thor, Texas State [5.07m/16-7.50)