BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The VMI men's track and field team opened Day 1 of the Southern Conference Outdoor Championships with much success as the Keydets are tied for fifth overall with 22 points Saturday at Samford's Shauna Yelton Field at Samford Track and Soccer Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
VMI senior Jordin Poindexter led the way in both the 100 meter and 200 meter preliminaries, finishing both in first place to qualify for the finals. He finished the 100 meter in 10.61 seconds and the 200 meter in 21.11 to lead the field for both events. Teammate Jeremiah Wilks placed seventh in the 100m in 10.92 seconds and seventh in the 200m in 21.55 seconds as both will compete in Sunday's finals for both events.
 
In the 800 meter, Trent Whittaker led VMI with a fourth-place mark in the prelims in 1:51.81 and teammate Zach Lauster arrived in ninth in 1:52.30 as both were slotted in to Sunday's final.
 
Senior Johnnie Walker led the Keydets in the 400m by placing fifth in the prelims in 48.71 seconds and freshman Richard Edwards came in sixth in 49.15 seconds to make it to Sunday's final round. Freshman Xander Topos placed sixth in the 400m hurdles prelims in 56.54 seconds and will compete in Sunday's finals.
 
D. Alex Fiorillo and Gavin Jenkins qualified for Sunday's final in the 1500m as Fiorillo came in eighth in 3:56.40 and Jenkins in ninth in 3:56.78.
 
Andrew Granger logged a fourth-place distance in the hammer throw with a mark of 49.74 meters. In the javelin throw, Ty Wesenyak finished third with a personal-best distance of 54.56 meters to earn All-Conference honors and Ty Hevener came in fourth right behind at 53.14 meters, a new personal best.
 
Freshman Charles Male finished fourth in the long jump with a personal-best distance of 7.01 meters.
 
Andrew Hirneisen arrived in eighth place in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:24.64.
 
After five of 10 events in the decathlon, Isaiah Blount leads VMI with 3303 points. Kevin Linko is presently in seventh place with 2918 points, and Hunter Reed is in 10^th overall with 2514 points.
 
VMI Director of Track and Field Zack Scott:
"The men's team did a good job today and has done what it takes to make a big jump in the team score with the men in the finals and more field events to push our team into the top tier of the Southern Conference."
 
 Men's Results - Day 1
1. Samford – 82 points
2. Furman – 32
3. Western Carolina – 31
4. The Citadel – 27
T5. ETSU – 22
T5. VMI – 22
7. UNCG – 15
8. Wofford – 3
 
Women's results – Day 1
1. Samford – 85 points
2. ETSU – 33
3. Wofford – 32
4. Western Carolina – 26
5. Furman – 25
6. The Citadel – 15
7. Chattanooga – 13
8. VMI – 4
T9. Mercer – 0
T9. UNCG – 0
 
Day 1 champions
Men: 10,000-meter run Dylan Christopher, UNCG (30:48.12); hammer throw Seth Wolfe, Samford (59.48 meters); pole vault Jed Sisco, Samford (5.20 meters); javelin Ashton Domingue, Samford (67.01 meters); long jump Ty Kimberlin (7.28 meters); 3,000-meter steeplechase Ben Garner, Samford (8:55.55).
 
Women: 10,000-meter run Emily Little, Furman (36:16.17); hammer throw Hannah Daffin, Samford (53.60 meters); long jump Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina (5.73 meters); javelin Erin Long, Samford, (51.02 meters*); 3,000-meter steeplechase Nicole Matysik, Furman (10:55.84); pole vault Brittany Bishop, Samford (4.01m*).
 
* meet record
 
Men's All-Freshman – Day 1
Men's 10,000-meter run
Nick Goldstein, Furman
Ethan Vargas, Furman
Nicholas Kiser, Western Carolina
 
Men's hammer throw
None
 
Men's pole vault
None
 
Men's javelin
Ian McCorkle, The Citadel
 
Men's long jump
Charles Male, VMI
Damian Hines, Samford
Owen Barr, Western Carolina
 
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Foster Wilfong, Furman
Casey Burr, Furman
 
Women's All-Freshman – Day 1
10,000-meter run
Carolyne Shealy, Wofford
Sierra Bower, Furman
Alesea Caldwell, Western Carolina
 
Women's hammer throw
None
 
Women's long jump
Kelsey Martin, Samford
Eleyah Armstrong, VMI
Gracie Morse, Chattanooga
 
Women's javelin
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel
Taniyah Thomas, Western Carolina
 
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Mary Claire Ridgeway, Wofford
Gretal Shank, VMI
 
Women's pole vault
Diana Romero-Barba, ETSU