CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina track & field teams earned four individual and one relay win along with multiple personal best finishes as the Catamounts concluded the 2023 Southern Conference Outdoor Championship on Tuesday at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
 
The men's team finished in second place for the third straight year while the women's team earned third place in the team standings.
 
Riley Center, the 2023 SoCon Indoor shot put champion, completed the yearly sweep in the event with a top throw of 14.50 meters (47'7").
 
On the track, John Davis earned the first SoCon title of his career, taking the men's 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:54.76. Davis is the first Catamount to win the event since Adam Puett won the event in three straight years from 2004-06. 
 
Michael Harris was the runner-up in the men's 400-meter dash, finishing the race with a personal best of 47.51. Harris finished third in the men's 200-meter dash with a new personal best time of 21.27. Teddy Ayden finished in fourth place thanks to a personal best 21.43 with David Miles earning an eighth-place result in 21.72.
 
Javell Brown finished second in the men's triple jump with an outdoor personal mark of 15.34 meters (50'4"). Javell's jump is the fifth-best all-time in program history. Javon Brown placed third thanks to a leap of 15.25 meters (50'0.5"). Javell Brown finished in third place in the men's high jump, clearing a personal best height of 2.05 meters (6'8.75").
 
The men's 4x400-meter relay team of Elias Barton, Ayden, Davis, and Harris, finished in second place with a finishing time of 3:14.42.
 
Competing in the men's 100-meter dash, Miles finished in fourth place with a time of 10.64. He was closely followed by Ayden in fifth, breaking the tape in 10.73.
 
Davis placed fifth in the men's 800-meter run, crossing the finish line in 1:53.91. Henry Stecher placed seventh, crossing the finish line in 1:55.52.
 
Kaleb Ambrose finished sixth in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.13.
 
Dominick Dale was seventh in the men's discus thanks to his personal best throw of 38.80 meters (127'3").
 
Jalen Elwell finished eighth in the men's 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:58.43.
 
The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Imani Boyd, Brianna Gayle, Nytrinitey Jenkins, and Shaneil Lysight closed out the meet with a winning time of 3:46. 25. The event win was enough to boost the Catamounts to a third-place overall finish as WCU went from third to first in the final leg of the race.
 
Jasmine Greene led a 1-2 finish in the women's triple jump with a personal best mark of 12.11 meters (39'8.75"). Greene's mark is tied for the fifth-best in program history. Derica Currie was the runner-up with a personal best jump of 12.04 meters (39'6").
 
Jenkins won the women's 400-meter dash with a new personal best time of 55.11. Jenkins took the race with a strong kick in the final 150 meters for her first SoCon individual title.
 
The women's 4x100-meter relay team of  Gayle, Jenkins, Mikayla Turner, and Mekyll Robinson finished in second place with a season-best time of 46.19.

In the women's 100-meter hurdles, Imani Boyd finished in third place with a personal best time of 14.26 followed by Dami Shodeinde in fourth at 14.29.
 
Boyd also finished in third place in women's 400-meter hurdles with a new personal best time of 1:02.15.  Lysight was fourth, completing the race in 1:04.24.
 
Gayle finished in fourth place in the women's 100-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 12.00.
 
Jenkins earned her second top-five finish of the meet, placing fourth in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 24.56.
 
Erica O'Neal finished in fifth place in the women's triple jump thanks to her leap that measured 11.38 meters (37'4").
 
Kate Mattison finished fifth in the women's 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:57.31.
 
Turner finished in fifth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.96.
 
Toria Roundtree finished in seventh place in the women's discus with a top throw of 36.65 meters (120'3"). She earned a seventh-place finish in the women's shot put with a top throw of 11.04 meters (36'2.75").
 
Samford swept the men's and women's titles for the third straight year.
 
NCAA East Preliminary participants will be announced on Thursday, May 16.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount track & field and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountxctf).

 
Men's results – Final
1. Samford – 251 points
2. Western Carolina – 133
3. VMI – 97
4. ETSU – 91
5. The Citadel – 78
6. Furman – 70
7. Wofford – 65
8. UNCG – 21
 
Women's results – Final
1. Samford – 220 points
2. Wofford – 134 points
3. Western Carolina – 107.5
4. ETSU – 104.5
5. Furman – 70
6. The Citadel – 65
7. VMI – 39
T8. Mercer – 31
T8. Chattanooga – 31
10. UNCG – 7