HPU Track & Field Panthers Stand First Heading Into Final Day of Conference Championships

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

HPU Women Move Into First After Day 2 Of Big South Championships
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Climbing its way up the Big South Championship standings, High Point University women’s track and field team sits first after day two of this week’s meet, collecting 98 points thus far. The Panthers recorded a pair of event wins from Nathalie Elliott in the pole vault and Famke Heinst in the 3000m steeplechase, while Madison Reynolds and Leah Bolden set school records in the heptathlon and 100m dash respectively.

The Purple & White multis started the second, and final, day of the heptathlon in the long jump, where juniors Anika Weisbrod and Madison Reynolds finished first and second respectively. Weisbrod cleared 5.36m to claim first in the event, while Reynolds posted a PR with her leap of 5.32m.

The pair each tallied top-three performances in the javelin, after Weisbrod’s 33.04m secured a runner-up spot, while Reynolds scorched the rest of the field in the 800m with a career best time of 2:25.07. Charlotte Morrow would register her own PR in the final heptathlon event (2:31.54), but Reynolds’ point total of 4,753 would prove the top mark for the Panthers as she finished second overall. The combined athlete’s performance set a new program record by 92 points, as she and Weisbrod both beat the previous mark of 4,641 set earlier this year.

The Panthers dominated the pole vault, sweeping the podium and claiming four of the top-five marks in the event this Thursday. Posting a lifetime best of 4.16m, sophomore Nathalie Elliott was far and away the leader in the field, as the Pennsylvania native came within inches of setting a new program record on her three attempts at 4.24m.

Freshman Mackenzie Horn finished runner-up to Nathalie, as the first-year HPU athlete was the only other competitor to clear 3.90m on the day. Her performance set a new personal record, while teammates Jessica Keys (3.70m) and Rachel Berndsen (3.60m) claimed third and fifth among the field.

Qualifying for Friday’s final with a pace of 11.76 in the 100m dash, freshman Leah Bolden tallied the second Panther program record of the afternoon, besting the previous all-time mark of 11.86 during prelims. She would not be the only HPU performer to earn a spot in a day three final however, as Nyile Facey’s 13.78 in the 100m hurdles was the third-fastest on the day.

Defending her title as 3000m steeplechase champion, sophomore Famke Heinst completed back-to-back winning performances with her time of 10:35.83. Her pace was good enough to set a new meet record, while her 10:11.03 at last year’s East Regional still stands as the fastest time in Big South history.

Three Panther runners will be in the 800m final, as senior Keaton Case coasted to a second-place time of 2:15.27. Her teammate Camryn Harper would follow up in third with at 2:15.34, while Franzi Jakobs completed the event in 2:17.88.

The Purple & White complete their trip to the 26th Big South Championships, starting with the women’s hammer at 1 PM on Friday. The Panthers (98) hold a slim margin over second-place Hampton (96.5), looking for their first-ever conference title as a team.

Top Performers

Heptathlon
2. Madison Reynolds (4753) – SR
3. Anika Weisbrod (4656) – PR

Hept. Long Jump
1. Anika Weisbrod (5.36m)
2. Madison Reynolds (5.32m) – PR

Hept. Javelin
2. Anika Weisbrod (33.04m)
3. Madison Reynolds (31.10m)
6. Charlotte Morrow (23.68m) – PR

Hept. 800m
1. Madison Reynolds (2:25.07) – PR
5. Charlotte Morrow (2:31.54) – PR

Pole Vault
1. Nathalie Elliott (4.16m) – PR
2. Mackenzie Horn (3.90m) – PR
3. Jessica Keys (3.70m)
5. Rachel Berndsen (3.60m) – outdoor PR

3000m Steeplechase
1. Famke Heinst (10:35.83) – MR
2. Zoe Geis (10:42.72) – PR

100m Dash
5. Leah Bolden (11.76) – SR & Qualifies for Finals

100m Hurdles
3. Nyile Facey (13.78) – Qualifies for Finals

800m
2. Keaton Case (2:15.27) – Qualifies for Finals
3. Camryn Harper (2:15.34) – Qualifies for Finals
7. Franzi Jakobs (2:17.88) – Qualifies for Finals


Men’s Panthers Lead Heading Into Final Day of Championships
ROCK HILL, S.C. – High Point University men’s track and field continues to lead the field after day two of Big South Championships, with their 93 total points beating second-place Campbell by 27. Sophomore Gabriel Stainback repeated as decathlon champion with a total of 6,535 points, collecting wins in five of a possible 10 events over the course of the multis events.

The Panther combined athletes opened day two of competition in the 110m hurdles, where Stainback continued to take a strangle hold on this year’s decathlon standings with a time of 15.63. The sophomore’s time was good for a runner-up spot in the event, while John Singleton III came in fourth with his PR time of 16.84.

Stainback went on to claim wins in both the decathlon discus (38.42m) and pole vault (4.52m) while setting a new personal best in the latter. Singleton continued to rack up career bests with a toss of 30.29m in the discus and a mark of 3.02m in the pole vault.

Freshman Stephen Binkley had a career day with his 3.12m in the vault, following up his performance with a 43.69m in the javelin. Senior Brad Kanney recorded the top throw in the event, tossing a 43.98m, just ahead of his formerly mentioned teammate.

Kanney came within a hair of setting a new career record in the 1500m, pacing the field with the lone sub-five minute time of the day (4:58.05). Stainback ultimately earned the hardware however, as his 5:21.13 was good enough to earn the Concord, N.C. product a total of 6,535 points. He finished a full 926 points ahead of the remaining field, while Binkley’s PR of 4,970 went down as a new career best for the first-year decathlete.

Junior TJ Morales wrapped up the Panthers’ podium marks on Thursday, running a 9:28.47 in the 3000m steeplechase for a third-place finish. Falling back to fourth in the race, Morales scorched the final 300m of the event to move into third, coming just over a second within the night’s runner-up finisher from Campbell.

Freshmen were the story for the Purple & White in the sprints, as Bobby Dupell III and Daniel Bogle turned in a pair of times to qualify for Friday’s final. Dupell crossed the finish line in a pace of 49.22 in the 400m while Bogle’s 10.65 in the 100m was the sixth fastest on the day. Both sprinters’ performances would go down as new career marks.

The Panthers will finish their trip to Big South Championships this Friday, starting with the high jump at 2 PM. With a heavy lead going into day three, HPU (93) will be looking to hold off Campbell (65) and Hampton (58) for its first conference championship in the Division I era.

Top Performers

Decathlon
1. Gabriel Stainback (6535)
5. Stephen Binkley (4970) – PR

Dec. 110m Hurdles
2. Gabriel Stainback (15.63)
4. John Singleton III (16.84) – PR

Dec. Discus
1. Gabriel Stainback (38.42m)
3. John Singleton III (30.29m) – PR

Dec. Pole Vault
1. Gabriel Stainback (4.52m) – PR

Dec. Javelin
1. Brad Kanney (43.98m)
2. Stephen Binkley (43.69m) – PR

Dec. 1500m
1. Brad Kanney (4:58.05)
2. Stephen Binkley (5:06.45) – PR

3000m Steeplechase
3. TJ Morales (9:28.47)

400m
6. Bobby Dupell III (49.22) – PR & Qualifies for Finals

100m
6. Daniel Bogle (10.65) – PR & Qualifies for Finals