DAY 1 RESULTS

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Southern Utah men’s team and Grand Canyon women’s team hold the top spots in the leaderboards following day one of the 2024 WAC Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
 
Southern Utah currently sits atop of the men’s standings with 47.50 points with GCU following not too far behind with 40.50 points. The two teams hold a lengthy gap over the rest of the field, as Stephen F. Austin (23 points), UT Arlington (22 points), and Abilene Christian (19 points) close out the top five.
 
The Grand Canyon women made their way to the front of the pack with 55 points on the day, just ahead of Utah Valley who has 43 points. The rest of the top-five include UT Arlington (36 points), Stephen F. Austin (23 points), and UTRGV (19 points).
 
UTA’s Glodis Thuridardottir took home the first gold medal of the day, totaling the most points in the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3838. Thuridardottir accumulated her points by winning the 60-meter hurdles in 8.65 and the long jump with a mark of 5.68m (18-7.75). Thuridardottir finished fourth or better in all five events. SFA’s Christina Mudd finished runner-up with 3734 points and ACU’s Eliza Lemberga rounds out the podium with 3652 points.
 
Canaan Fairley from ACU currently holds a tight lead in the men’s heptathlon over UT Arlington’s Brady Shadrick and Utah Valley’s Neal Berkey, all three being separated by 10 points.
 
Neysia Howard got the Lopes off to a hot start by capturing the women’s long jump title with a mark of 6.13m (20-1.50). Howard held off a strong-showing from UTRGV who took up four of the eight finalist spots, led by runner-up Kailah Gilmore who jumped 5.98m (19-7.50).
 
The Thunderbirds dominated the men’s side of the long jump, taking up three of the top four spots. Cedar English and Astley Davis finished 1-2 for the T-Birds recording marks of 7.63m (25-0.50) and 7.41m (24-3.50) respectively.
 
Randon Gray spoiled the GCU party in the men’s pole vault and finished first ahead of the Lopes who took up the second through fourth spots. Gray’s ten points for the Mavericks came after he put up up a mark of 5.37m (17-7.25). Eric Cabais-Fernandez led GCU with a second-best mark of 5.27m (17-3.50).
 
GCU’s Regan Parnell won the women’s pole vault by clearing the 3.88m (12-8.75) mark on her first attempt. Parnell got the nod for the top spot over Tarleton State’s Hannah Cade who cleared the 3.88m mark on her second attempt.
 
Athan Huelskamp won the Wildcats’ first gold of the day by capturing the men’s weight throw with a mark of 20.37m (66-10.00). Huelskamp bested SFA’s Sultan Bakare who recorded a 19.94m (65-5.00) mark. On the women’s side, SFA’s Cyan Green overcame a GCU-heavy field to win the weight throw after throwing 18.88m (61-11.00). Hannah Blood led the Lopes with a second-place finish with a mark of 18.63m (61-1.00).
 
Southern Utah padded their team lead after Travis Feeny earned the top spot of the podium with a 14:38.80 time in the men’s 5000-meter run. UVU’s Austin Hone clawed his way to a runner-up finish after running the final 200-meter split in 28.50 seconds, his best split of the run.
 
The 2023 WAC Women’s Cross Country Champion Utah Valley’s Morgan Nokes and Ari Trimble both captured podium finished in the women’s 5000-meter run, finishing first and third respectively. Their Wolverine teammates, Abby Linford and Kelsi Lindley, also finished inside the top eight, picking up more points for UVU.
 
The 4000-meter distance medley relays concluded an exciting end to day one of the indoor track and field championships with UT Arlington coming out on top on the men’s side (10:01.81) and Seattle U prevailing on the women’s side (12:05.94).
 
The second and final day of the 2024 WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will begin with the men’s 60-meter hurdles at 8 AM MT, as part of the final events of the men’s heptathlon. Live coverage of final events will begin at 1:25 PM MT on ESPN+.
 
2024 WAC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES
 
2024 WAC Men’s ITF Championship Day 1 Team Scores
 
Rank    Team                           Points
1.         Southern Utah            47.50
2.         Grand Canyon            40.50
3.         Stephen F. Austin       23
4.         UT Arlington               22
5.         Abilene Christian        19
6.         Utah Valley                 17
7.         Tarleton State             13
8.         UTRGV                         8
9.         Seattle U                     5
 
2024 WAC Women’s ITF Championship Day 1 Team Scores
 
Rank    Team                           Points
1.         Grand Canyon             55
2.         Utah Valley                  43
3.         UT Arlington                36
4.         Stephen F. Austin        23
5.         UTRGV                         19
6.         Tarleton State             18
7.         Abilene Christian        13
8.         Southern Utah            12
9.         Seattle U                     10
10.       Utah Tech                    5