SHAWNEE, Okla. – With three individual Great American Conference Championship titles and multiple First and Second Team All-GAC Conference performances under their belts, the Southern Arkansas University women's and men's track and field teams can leave Shawnee with their heads held high as both teams finished third overall. The meet spanned over three days, starting off with multis on Thursday and finished with final track and field events this today. The three Muleriders that took home individual GAC Championship titles were Ja'Kamron Zackery in the discus, Darius Trimble in the shot put, and Kailyn Thomas in the discus.

First team All-GAC honors go to those who placed 1^st-3^rd, while second team honors belong to those that placed 4^th-6^th. The two squads combined for 40+ All-GAC Conference honors.

Multis (Decathlon & Heptathlon)

Beginning the tournament was the Multi-Athletes. Connor White finished third overall in the decathlon after he broke his previously earned record for points in the Harding Multis. White recorded a new point total record of 5622, the now SAU school record for points in a decathlon. Rebecca Miner set herself a new personal record for total points in the heptathlon after she achieved a point total of 3451. 

Throwing Events (Men)

Heading into the throwing events for the three-day meet, one Mulerider achieved First Team All-Conference in hammer. Ja'Kamron Zackery, a very familiar name, placed second in the hammer throw after he threw for 48.38m on final throw. Carson Nichols and Traveon Scott placed 4th and 5th in the events as well, earning them both Second-Team All-Conference. Nichols earned himself a new PR in the event after throwing for 45.65m and Scott would do the same feat after he threw for .10m shorter of Nichols at 45.55m.
Two SAU competitors both made First-Team AC in the discus throw with one being the individual champion of the event. Zackery once again proves his worth after he placed first in the discus throw with his unhinged PR throw of 49.27m. In third-place was Darius Trimble throwing for a very strong 45.38m, making Trimble a member of the First-Team All-Conference Team. 
Not one, not two, but three Muleriders are First-Team All-Conference in shot put. Trimble, Traveon Scott, and Zackery placed first, second, and third in shot put. Your GAC shot put champion, Trimble, recorded a new personal record of 15.66m in the process. Scott came in second with his new PR distance of 15.09m and Zackery placed third after he threw for a new personal record of 15.05m. Micheal Jones placed 5th in the competition with his new PR of 14.51m, earning him spot in the Second-Team All-Conference. 
Kris Shumaker had another incredible performance in the javelin throw. Shumaker earned a spot on the First-Team All-Conference Team as he placed second in his event after he threw for 55.75m on his first throw. 
 
Field Events (Men)

Add three more names to the All-Conference lists as one Mulerider made First-Team and two others made Second-Team. Dariusz Patterson was just .03m from being named the triple jump conference champion, but nonetheless he still earned his second-place spot in the event with a leaping distance of 13.73m, earning him a First-Team All-Conference spot. Chauncey Blake and Dontrelle Robinson finished 4th and 5th in the competition with Blake having a distance of 13.10m and Robinson earning a new PR that now sits at 12.86m. Both are now a part of the Second-Team All-Conference Team. 
Derrick Onyeador decided he wanted to add his name to the First-Team list, and he delivered. Onyeador placed second in the High Jump after he reached a soaring height of 1.98m, and let's not forget to mention that is now his new personal record for the event. 

Patterson and Onyeador make another appearance in the All-Conference club along with new addition Kristufer Wyche in the long jump. Patterson adds another First-Team mention to his name after he placed third in the event with his longest jump reaching 7.07m, which is now his new personal record. Onyeador and Wyche both made their way to the Second-Team mentions as Onyeador placed 4th with his new PR of 6.95m and Wyche placed 5th with his new PR of 6.76m. 

Running Events (Men)

Travon Johnson and La'Dainian Hendrix get these started for running events as both runners earn First-Team All-Conference after finishing second and third in the 100m dash. Johnson, who placed second, finished the event with a PR time of 10.58. Hendrix, who placed third, accomplished the same feat as Johnson and earned a new PR time of 10.63. Coming in sixth, and earning a spot on the Second-Team All-Conference, was Kyeran Monroe after he finished with a time of 10.77. Travon made All Conference again after he placed 5th in the 200m dash and had a time of 21.77. 

Brandon Sofi snuck in the Second-Team All-Conference after he placed 6th in the 110m hurdles and ran a time of 15.18. 

Going into the 3000m steeplechase, Jaime Quinones has finally done and has broken through the 10 minute mark into 9. Quinones placed 3rd in the event, earning him a First-Team All-Conference spot, with a new personal record set to 9:42.41. Not done with long-distance just yet as Jorge Sanchez placed sixth, earning him a Second-Team All-Conference spot, in the 5000m. Sanchez recorded a time of 16.29.56 in the race. 
Less than half a second behind first was the SAU 4x100 team that consisted of Christian Mosley, B. Johnson, Monroe, and T. Johnson. The group had a collective time of 41.14 as they finished off the season first team All-Conference honors.

The 4x400 team that consisted of Carter Duncan, Sid Hampton, Monroe, and Javis Williams finished in 4th place after they had a grouped time of 3:26.67 to earn second team All-Conference honors.

Throwing Events (Women)

To kick things off were a pair hammer throwers making the All-Conference list. Shardanay LaMark made the First-Team AC team in the event after she placed third on day 2 with her new personal record of 48.55m. Her teammate Kailyn Thomas placed fourth in the event after she also set a new personal record of 46.33m, earning her a Second-Team All-Conference spot. 

Speaking of Kailyn Thomas, why not mention her earning the title of conference champion. Thomas placed first in the discus throw after she set a new PR in the process (42.79m). Irieyanna Wilson wanted a piece of the spotlight along with Thomas, and she accomplished just that after she placed 6th in the competition with her throw of 38.02m earning her a Second-Team All-Conference mention. 
Wilson made her way back to All-Conference talking after she made Second-Team in shot put with a 5th place finish and throw of 12.15m. Brown earned another mention in the Second-Team All-Conference team with Wilson after she placed 6th in shot put and recorded a PR throw of 11.99mm. 

Field Events (Women)

Devlin Rivera made sure her name was to be included in the First-Team All-Conference list when she placed third in the triple jump event. Rivera came away with a new personal record of 11.97m in the process of accomplishments. Issah Traylor made Second-Team in the event when placed 5th with her jumping her previous PR to 11.54m.
Tatahlavia Rosser came away with a Second-Team mention in the long jump after she recorded a new PR of 5.48m and a 4th-place finish. Traylor made another appearance in All-Conference as she made Second-Team in the event with her new personal record of 5.34m. 

Alexis Matlock made her own Second-Team All-Conference appearance after she placed 4th in the high jump. Matlock placed 4th after she recorded a height of 1.54m on her fifth attempt. 
Another personal record was broken in the process of making Second-Team All-Conference when Raylynn Gibbs placed 5th in pole vault. Gibbs' new personal record came after she made it over the bar for 3.50m on her third try of her sixth attempt.

Running Events (Women)

Sa'Moriya got things started for the Mulerider women in the running events after she placed 6th in the 100m dash with a time of 12.29 and achieved a spot on the Second-Team All-Conference. For the 200m dash, Kamrin Hooks placed second, putting her in the First-Team All-Conference, after she recorded a time of 24.96. In 5th place, and receiving a spot in the Second-Team All-Conference, was Traylor with her new personal record of 25.60. 

Heading into the long distance running, Cecilia Quesada set herself a new personal record in the 3000m steeplechase after she finished third in the event with a time of 11:28.65. 
Just over half a second behind first-place was the 4x100 relay team that consisted of Katelynn Hogg, Hooks, Amayia Taylor, and Walker. The team came together to finish with their group time of 47.28 to collect second place to earn first team All-Conference honors.

Finishing in third-place was the 4x400 relay team that consisted of Hooks, Rozlyne Manor, Hogg, and Kaliyah Thompson. The group finished with a final time of 4:04.44 to earn first team All-Conference honors.

To wrap up the 2022 Track and Field season, the Mulerider Men's T&F Team finished third in conference after they recorded a total of 176 points. The Mulerider Women's T&F Team placed third also with their total of 119 points. Both squads improved consistently throughout the season and set personal record after personal record. Multiple school records were challenged and broken this year as well.