LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire pulled away from the competition and claimed two dominant victories at the Sun Conference Track and Field Championships. Southeastern University totaled 14 first-place finishes, 39 top-three finishes, and 78 combined place winners on Sunday, as both the men's and women's teams captured their sixth consecutive Sun Conference Championship titles.
James Williamson III and Dario Laing led the charge, each winning two individual events, while Irmiris Mendez starred for the women's team with a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles and two runner-up showings in the sprints.
"I just want to thank the Lord for giving me the strength to lead this program," said head coach Nick Dodson. "The best part about this championship was we were able to do it in our backyard and have all of our alumni, administration, family, and friends be part of it as well. It was so cool to witness. I'm just so proud of our team, as they amaze me every day with their dedication and devotion. They don't just meet their goals, they exceed them. For that reason and many more, I'll always remember number six."
Men's Recap
After a close battle through Day 1, SEU's men pulled away with nine first-place finishes and 11 additional podium placements, winning the title by 91 points (306.5–215.5) over St. Thomas University.
Williamson kicked off Sunday by running the opening leg of the victorious 4x100-meter relay team, alongside Malik Blunt, Cameron Alamia, and Davien Worrels. Their blazing time of 39.83 seconds shattered the NAIA "A" Standard.
Individually, Williamson claimed titles in the 100 meters (10.32, "A" Standard) and the 200 meters (21.00), narrowly edging Worrels, who was runner-up in both events. Blunt (10.65) and Alamia (10.83) finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 100 meters.
Laing dominated the hurdles, winning the 110-meter hurdles (14.40, "B" Standard) and the 400-meter hurdles (52.41, "A" Standard). In the 400 hurdles, SEU swept the top four spots, with James Turner, Kevin Davis Jr., and Mario Thomas all following Laing across the finish line.
Worrels captured the 400-meter dash title (46.36, "A" Standard), just ahead of Blunt (46.65).
T.J. Sanders led a 1-2-3-4-5 Fire sweep in the 5,000-meter walk, winning by over two minutes. Jeremiah Rutledge added a field title by clearing 1.91 meters in the high jump.
In the multi-events, Josiah Dunlap claimed the decathlon title with 5,061 points, narrowly topping teammate Zackary Cho-Sam (5,010).
The Fire men also finished third in the 4x400-meter relay (3:15.52, "B" Standard) and placed three runners in the top five of the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Ethan Campbell contributed points in the 800 meters (5th, 1:56.66) and 1,500 meters (3rd, 3:59.23), while Lucky Baldwin had strong field performances, finishing fourth in both the javelin (50.72m) and discus (42.72m).
Women's Recap
The SEU women mirrored the men's success, winning their championship by 111.5 points (290–178.5) over St. Thomas.
Irmiris Mendez highlighted the track performances, winning the 100-meter hurdles with an NAIA "A" Standard time of 13.89 seconds. She followed that with second-place finishes in both the 100 meters (12.02) and 200 meters (24.37).
Areeyanna Bonds captured the 400-meter hurdles title (1:02.40, "B" Standard) and placed second in the 400 meters (56.97). Bonds teamed with Mendez, Alyssa Morley, and Emily Powelson for a fourth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay.
Morley also earned first place in the high jump (1.56m) and third in the triple jump (11.61m).
Maci Mills led a 1-2 finish in the women's 800 meters, running a NAIA "A" Standard 2:11.46, followed closely by Jaa'Ln McBride (2:13.15).
Ashlyn Poulin dominated the 5,000-meter walk (26:34.58), leading a Fire sweep of four of the top five places.
Other strong performances included:
In field events, MarieAnge Moussignac placed third in the discus (39.46m), while Avery Brincat (37.17m), Emma Terry (36.31m), and Baylie Hartman (30.04m) went 3-4-5 in the javelin.
Additional Top 8 Finishes
Women:
Men:
