Track and Field: High Point Finishes Action on Day One of Big South Outdoor Championships

*** Both men’s and women’s recaps included ***

Stainback Breaks High Jump Record on First Day of Big South Outdoors

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s track and field team broke a school record and had a second-place finish on the first day of the Big South Outdoor Championships Wednesday (May 9) at Vert Stadium.

After one day, the Panthers sit in fourth with 19 points behind Liberty (66), Campbell (39), Charleston Southern (33), but ahead of Winthrop (15), Gardner-Webb (12) and UNC Asheville (11).

Freshman Gabriel Stainback broke the school high jump record during the decathlon, clearing a height of 2.07m (6-9.5). Stainback cleared six bars over his previous PR of 1.91m (6-2.5). The freshman leads the decathlon after five of 10 events with 3,752 points, while junior Brad Kanney is fifth with 3,053 points.

In the pole vault, sophomore Carter Clasper finished as the runner-up after clearing a height of 4.92m (16-1.75). Fellow sophomores Jordan McClung and Pablo Romero placed fifth at 4.77m (15-7.75) and eighth in 4.47m (14-8), respectively. All three were personal best heights.

Junior Britton Mann finished fifth in the javelin with a mark of 49.40m (162-1) and eighth in the discus with a throw of 41.77m (137-0).

Senior James House just missed the finals of the 200 meters, placing ninth in 22.06.

“Our highlight was Gabe (Stainback) in the decathlon in general and the high jump in particular, which was a school record,” HPU head coach Mike Esposito said. “He’s a young guy who is going to be really really good and he has a big day tomorrow to try and win the decathlon. Carter (Clasper) finishing second in the pole vault was more about the place than the mark and had really good attempts at 5.07 (meters).

“Britton (Mann) struggled in the discus, but bounced back with a good javelin. I’m disappointed for James (House) being the first man out in the 200, but he just has to relax in the 100.”

The action continues Thursday (May 10) at noon.


HPU Women Record Trio of Podium Finishes on First Day of Big South Outdoors

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women’s track and field team had three podium finishes in the first day of the Big South Outdoor Championships Wednesday (May 9) at Vert Stadium.

After one day the Panthers sit in third place with 24 points, behind Liberty (54) and Campbell (31), but ahead of Winthrop (19), UNC Asheville (10), Radford (8), Charleston Southern (7) and Gardner-Webb (3).

Senior Makenzi Holmes-DiGiovine was the runner-up in the discus with a mark of 49.24m (161-6). Fellow senior CeAnna Soper finished as the runner-up in the javelin with a throw of 39.73m (130-4), while sophomore Anika Weisbrod was seventh with a personal-best mark of 34.35m (112-8).

Soper is second in the heptathlon after four of seven events with 2,705 points. Sophomore Madison Reynolds is fourth with 2,587 points, while Weisbrod is fifth with 2,573 points.

Sophomore Zoe Geis placed third in the women’s 10,000 meters in 37:53.21, while junior Courtney Kerr was just out of the scoring positions in ninth with a time of 40:50.82.

Both junior Emmy Geis and freshman Franzi Jakobs qualified for the finals of the 400m hurdles in personal-best times of 1:02.67 and 1:04.95.

“CeAnna (Soper) didn’t have a great distance in the javelin, but she rallied to take second which was good, while Anika (Weisbrod) had a really nice PR,” HPU head coach Mike Esposito said. “They both had a really busy day also competing nicely in the heptathlon along with Madison (Reynolds), but they have a big day tomorrow.

“Makenzi (Holmes-DiGiovine) was seeded third in the discus, finished second and threw the furthest she has in a conference meet, which you cannot be disappointed with. We need her in the next two throw events coming up. Emmy (Geis) was studying overseas in the fall and when she came back she has kept grinding and here she is, qualifying for the final in the 400 hurdles. Zoe (Geis) closed our night with a nice podium finish.”

The meet continues Thursday (May 10) at 11 a.m.

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