HPU Track & Field: Panther Men Lead Big South Championship After Day One

*** Men’s & Women’s recaps included ***

Panther Men Lead Big South Championship After Day One
ROCK HILL, S.C. – High Point University men’s track and field leads the Big South Championship standings after day one, collecting a pair of even wins and six top-three finishes for a total of 39 points.

Collecting a total of 3,540 points on Wednesday, sophomore Gabriel Stainback leads the pack in the men’s decathlon, tallying the top mark in three of five events he competed in on day one of competition. After running an 11.80 in the 100m dash and clearing 6.51m in the long jump, Stainback claimed the final three events of the day while collecting a pair of personal records in the process. The defending Big South decathlon champion tossed a career best 12.56m in the shot put before following his performance up with a 1.95m in the high jump. Stainback finished his day with a 51.40 PR in the 400m, as his point total on the day places him a full 72 points ahead of the field.

The Panthers’ biggest performances of day one came in the field, with the Purple & White sweeping the podium in the men’s pole vault. Carter Clasper led the way with his mark of 4.96m, as he was followed in order by teammates Zane Griffith and Pablo Romero. Griffith and Romero each cleared 4.76m for a pair of new personal records, as the final four athletes competing in the day’s event were all in Panther uniforms.

Daniel Bogle crushed his previous career record with a 7.36m in the long jump, taking third in the field while competing in the first conference championship of his High Point career. The Panthers finished the evening with an event victory in the javelin, where freshman Rob Greer set a personal record of 55.72m for a first-place finish. Teammate Josh Brown followed closely behind in third, tossing 51.34m for HPU’s sixth podium spot of the afternoon.

High Point multis will get back to work on Thursday, starting with the 110m hurdles at 11 AM. Outside of the decathlon, the Panther men will have just seven other athletes competing on day two of Big South Championships, as HPU continues the search for their first conference title in school history.

Top Performers

Decathlon
1. Gabriel Stainback (3,540)

Dec. Long Jump
2. Gabriel Stainback (6.51m)
6. John Singleton III (5.87m) – ties PR

Dec. Shot Put
1. Gabriel Stainback (12.56m) – PR
4. John Singleton III (10.31m) – PR

Dec. High Jump
1. Gabriel Stainback (1.95m)
3. John Singleton III (1.86m)
5. Stephen Binkley (1.65m) – PR

Dec. 400m
1. Gabriel Stainback (51.40) – PR
5. Brad Kanney (53.66) – PR
6. Stephen Binkley (54.31) – PR

Long Jump
3. Daniel Bogle (7.36m) – PR

Pole Vault
1. Carter Clasper (4.96m)
2. Zane Griffith (4.76m) – PR
3. Pablo Romero (4.76m) – PR

Javelin
1. Rob Greer (55.72m) – PR
3. Josh Brown (51.34m)

200m
Levi Williams (21.78) – PR


Geis Earns 10,000m Win On Day One of Big South Championships
ROCK HILL, S.C. – With 27 points after day one, High Point University women’s track and field sits third going into the Thursday portion of the 26th Big South Championships.

With Madison Reynolds, Anika Weisbrod and Charlotte Morrow opening competition in the heptathlon, Reynolds currently sits in third-place after her Wednesday performance, on the way to claiming three PRs on the afternoon. The junior opened the day with a runner-up finish in the 100m hurdles, crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 14.42. The multis athlete went on to register a personal record in the shot put later in the afternoon (9.72m) before tying her career mark in the 200m at 26.37. Teammate Anika Weisbrod had a career day as well, beating her previous personal best in the high jump by six centimeters. After setting a PR with a clearance of 1.59m Weisbrod improved her mark to 1.62m on her first attempt, the only athlete in the field to face that height on Wednesday.

The Purple & White had an impressive day on the track, with four Panther athletes recording a qualifying time for Friday’s 1500m final. Sophomore Famke Heinst coasted to a 4:45.05 to take the top time in the preliminary, followed closely behind by teammate Keaton Case at 4:45.95. Franzi Jakobs crossed in third with her pace of 4:46.22, while Lucy Clayton’s 4:52.46 set a new personal record.

Freshmen Leah Bolden and Nyile Facey both qualified for finals in the 200m and 400m hurdle respectively. Bolden’s 24.38 edged out the first-year’s career mark, while falling just five-hundredths of a second short of a new program record in the event.

Already owning a regional qualifying time in the 10,000m, Zoe Geis’ 37:16.50 earned the Panther women’s first event win of the conference championships, while Julia Hellman’s 37:42.08 finished third in the field.

HPU gets back to work with the second, and final, day of the heptathlon, opening Thursday’s competition in the long jump at noon.

Top Performers

Heptathlon
3. Madison Reynolds (2,852)
4. Anika Weisbrod (2,813)

Hept. 100m Hurdles
2. Madison Reynolds (14.42) – PR

Hept. High Jump
1. Anika Weisbrod (1.62m) – PR
3. Charlotte Morrow (1.56m)

Hept. Shot Put
4. Madison Reynolds (9.72m) – PR
5. Anika Weisbrod (9.65m) – PR

Hept. 200m
5. Madison Reynolds (26.37) – ties PR

400m Hurdles
5. Nyile Facey (1:02.85) – Qualifies for Finals

1500m
1. Famke Heinst (4:45.05) – Qualifies for Finals
2. Keaton Case (4:45.95) – Qualifies for Finals
3. Franzi Jakobs (4:46.22) – Qualifies for Finals
11. Lucy Clayton (4:52.46) – Qualifies for Finals & PR

200m
6. Leah Bolden (24.38) – Qualifies for Finals & PR

10,000m
1. Zoe Geis (37:16.50)
3. Julia Hellman (37:42.08) – PR
5. Courtney Kerr (38:15.52)