Men's Track and Field 3/24/2023 4:05:00 PM By: Jacob Pumphrey

Muleriders gear up for Dan Veach Invitational

Southern Arkansas set for home meet, to honor 14 senior student-athletes

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Southern Arkansas Men's and Women's Track and Field teams return to action on Saturday for the Dan Veach Invitational from the Mulerider Track & Field Complex. The action begins at 9 a.m. with the hammer throw event with the running beginning at noon with the 3000M steeplechase. Following the 200M events, Southern Arkansas will honor its 14 senior student-athletes for their contributions to the program.

Thirty-eight total events across both the men's and women's competition will see a collective 136 entries in field and jump events and 224 entries in sprints, hurdles, relays and distance events.

SAU Women's Outdoor T&F Performance List | SAU Men's Outdoor T&F Performance List

MEET INFORMATION
Dan Veach Invitational
Host: Southern Arkansas | Magnolia, Arkansas
Stadium: Mulerider Track & Field Complex
Participating Teams: Southern Arkansas (M/W), Centenary (M/W), Central Baptist (M/W), Dallas (M/W), Fellowship of Champions Track (F), Harding (M/W), Little Rock (M/W), R&R Track Club (M), Shreveport Speed Track Club (M), Arkansas-Rich Mountain (M)

Event Schedule | Saturday, March 25

LAST TIME OUT | Women's Track & Field

*True freshman Jordan Collins won the 400M at the Harding Invitational with a current-Great American Conference best time of 59.12.
*Collins raced to a second-place finish in the 200M with the second fastest time in the GAC so far this season. She finished in 25.56 (+2.6) to lead nine other Muleriders that placed inside the top 20. Tiffany Wiley (4th, 25.91) and Kamrin Hooks (5th, 26.03) finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the 28-sprinter field.
*Hooks paced Southern Arkansas in the 100M as she placed fourth at 12.48 (+3.5). Sa'Moriya Walker, Wil'Lexis Beaver and Amayia Taylor finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively in the event.
*Southern Arkansas performed well in the jump events. Alexis Matlock placed second in the high jump with a mark of 5' 1" (1.55m). Diamond Brunn finished third in the triple jump at 36' .75" (10.99m). Breyonna Steward placed sixth at 34' 7.75" (10.56m). Steward finished third in the long jump at 17' .75" (5.20m), while Brunn placed fourth at 16' 8" (5.08m). Nine other Muleriders filled out the top 15 in the event.
*Irieyanna Wilson and Kailyn Thomas paced SAU in the throws. Wilson tossed 155' 6" (47.40m) in the hammer to earn a second-place finish, while Thomas finished less than five feet back of Wilson in third place with a result of 150' 9" (45.96m). Thomas recorded a throw of 41' 7" (12.67m) to finish third in the shot put. Wilson followed in fourth place at 41' 1.50" (12.53m). Thomas' throw of 126' 2" (38.47m) in the discus earned her a fifth place result. Wilson finished seventh at 119' 9" (36.50m).
*The Muleriders recorded 25 top five finishes over the two-day event.

OF NOTE | Women's Track & Field

*Four Muleriders have won events this season: At the season-opening MC Spring Cleaning Classic, the Muleriders saw true freshman Emilee Bates win the pole vault (3.05M, 10') in her collegiate outdoor debut, junior Alexis Matlock won the high jump (1.60M, 5' 3") for the sixth time in her career and sophomore Kailyn Thomas claimed the top spot in the discus (40.94M, 134' 4").True freshman Jordan Collins won the 400M with a current Great American Conference-best time of 59.12 at the Harding Invitational.
*Southern Arkansas has totaled 46 top five finishes over two meets this season.
*Collins' 400M effort last weekend is the fastest current time by a GAC athlete this season.
*Kaliyah Thompson's 100H time of 15.00 is currently the fastest time in the GAC.
*Southern Arkansas' 4x100 relay team of Heavyn Collins, Kamrin Hooks, Katelynn Hogg and Jordan Collins sped to a second-place finish of 47.21 at the MC Spring Cleaning Classic which stands as the fastest time ever in the event under current head coach Tim Servis and is currently the fastest time by a GAC 4x100 team this spring.
*Alexis Matlock is the current GAC event leader in the high jump.
*Diamond Brunn's long jump effort of 18' 2 ¼" at the MC Spring Cleaning Classic is currently the leading mark in the GAC this season.
*Kailyn Thomas leads the GAC in the shot put and discus and Irieyanna Wilson paces the league in the hammer.
*Anaya Ervin's 3,722 heptathlon points are the second-most in the all-around event by a GAC athlete this season.

LAST TIME OUT | Men's Track & Field

*True freshman Keith Smith won the triple jump event at the Harding Invitational to lead three other Muleriders in the action as SAU placed athletes first through fourth.
*Smith's final attempt, he landed all six tries, of 44' 8" (13.61m) at a +3.1 wind earned him the top podium placement. Chauncey Blake (41' 11.5"), Peyton Williams (40') and Dontrelle Robinson (38' 9") followed Smith's effort. Carter Duncan was less than three inches off of claiming the top spot in the long jump. He finished second at 21' 3.5" (6.49m), while Williams finished third at 21' 3.25" (6.48m).
*Detrich Young finished fourth in the high jump at 5' 8.75" (1.75m).
*Ja'Kamron Zackery led SAU in the shot put at 49' 7" (15.11m) to finish fourth behind a trio of throwers from Division I Memphis. Trevon Hill followed in fifth (48' 6.75"), and Traveon Scott placed sixth (47' 3.75"). Scott's second attempt in the hammer landed at 156' (47.56m) to earn him a fourth-place finish and pace the Muleriders in the event. Zackery finished less than two feet back in fifth place at 154' 1" (46.98m). Zackery's fifth attempt in the discus earned him a sixth-place finish (149' 6"). Scott finished in eighth place (143' 2").
*Hector Hernandez's seventh-place finish in the Young's Tire and Auto Men's 800M was recorded in 2:02.35, while his fifth place showing in the 1500M was finished in 4:13.81.
*Sid Hampton (59.77) and Caleb Sterling (1:00.16) placed fifth and sixth, respectively in the 400M Hurdles. Sterling's 15.01 (+2.6) time in the 110M Hurdles earned the collegiate rookie a second-place result. Cole Rappaport (15.39, +3.1) and Carter Cheek (15.51, +3.1) finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the 10-runner field.

OF NOTE | Men's Track & Field

*Three Muleriders have won events this season: true freshman Joseph Boyd won the pole vault (4.40M, 14' 5.25") in his collegiate outdoor debut at the MC Spring Cleaning Classic and sophomore Ja'Kamron Zackery claim the top spot in the hammer (49.89M, 163' 8") at the same meet as well. True freshman Keith Smith won the triple jump event at the Harding Invitational with a final attempt of 44' 8" (13.61m).
*Southern Arkansas has totaled 33 top five finishes over two meets this season.
*Daymien Smith owns the GAC's fastest 100M time this season at 10.78.
*Sid Hampton's time of 58.01 in the 400H is a league-best so far this season.
*Southern Arkansas' 4x100 relay team of Bryson Johnson, Travon Johnson, Daymien Smith and Landon Way blitzed to a second-place finish of 41.09 at the MC Spring Cleaning Classic. The effort stands as the fastest time by a Mulerider 4x1 unit since the 2016 campaign and is currently the top time in the GAC this season.
*Keith Smith holds the top marks in the GAC in both the long jump (21' 6") and triple jump (45' 9.25") this season.
*Ja'Kamron Zackery's throws marks in the shot put (49' 7") and the discus (151' 10") pace the GAC entering the final weekend of March.