BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mississippi College's men's and women's track and field teams delivered standout performances at the UAB Vulcan Invitational on Friday at the Birmingham Crossplex, highlighted by Taylor Benoit setting a new school record in the 3,000-meter run and multiple Choctaws securing top Gulf South Conference rankings.
Benoit claimed first place in the 3,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 9:49.74, breaking the Mississippi College school record and posting the No. 7 mark in NCAA Division II this season. Shana Sellers (10:29.20, 11th), Ava Wardlaw (10:29.53, 12th), and Kathryn Finch (10:47.39, 20th) also ran personal bests in the race.
On the men's side, Grayson Foster ran a 47.78 in the 400-meter dash, finishing third and ranking second in the GSC this season. In the 3,000-meter run, Carson Smith (8:33.24, 8th), Matthew Singletary (8:39.04, 10th), and Gabriel McElwain (8:39.54, 11th) all set personal bests.
Sidney Stegall placed fourth in the 800-meter run with a personal-best 1:54.35, ranking third in the GSC.
Davion Smith turned in another strong performance, finishing fifth in the 60Â (6.99) and in the 200 (21.89).
In the field events, Bryan Puckett (16.17m [53-00.75]) took third place in the shot put, while Steven Conrad (15.56m [51-00.50]) placed seventh. James Miller (16.14m [52-11.50]) finished seventh in the weight throw.
The highlight of the meet came in the men's 4x400-meter relay, where Oliver Ollesch, Elijah Wrights, Samuel Hodson, and Grayson Foster raced to a first-place finish with a time of 3:12.41, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark that ranks first in the GSC and seventh in Division II.
Mississippi College now shifts its focus to the Vanderbilt Music City Challenge on Feb. 14-15 in Nashville, Tenn., where the Choctaws will look to build on their recent success as the indoor season continues.
