granger - hammer - 2023 socon
Todd Drexler/SoConPhotos

Men's Track and Field

Granger Wins Hammer to Open SoCon Championships

SoCon Day 1 Results | Gallery
 
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Junior thrower Andrew Granger led the way for the VMI men's track and field team on Day One of the Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Monday at Western Carolina's Catamount Athletic Complex in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
 
Granger won the hammer throw with a toss of 57.62m to earn the top mark of the event for the day to take home the individual title. Teammate and senior Herbert Brooks finished sixth in the event at 45.36 meters.
 
Top Performances
*In the 110 meter hurdles prelims, Liam McBride placed second overall to advance to the final Tuesday with a time of 14.60 seconds. Xander Topos finished eighth for the event to also qualify for the final in 15.46 seconds
*Keyandre Midgett came in fourth in the long jump with a distance of 7.05 meters, while Charles Male placed eighth at 6.79 meters
*In the 200m prelims, Nick Brown arrived in fifth in 21.63 seconds to qualify for Tuesday's final round
*Topos placed fifth in the 400m hurdles prelims in 55.75 seconds to make Tuesday's final
*Isaiah Blount and Kevin Linko led VMI in the pole vault tied for fifth at 4.33 meters. Brandon Bauman finished eighth with a height of 4.03m
*Brown also competed in the 400m prelims and arrived in seventh in 48.98 seconds to qualify for the final round, while Richard Edwards came in eighth in 49.63 seconds to qualify
*Senior Trent Whittaker placed seventh in the 800m prelims with a time of 1:52.39 to qualify for the final round
*Ty Wesenyak came in eighth in the javelin throw at 45.93m
*In the 3000m steeple, Andre Hirneisen logged a 12th place mark of 1:11.83, and Nicholas Ligday arrived right after in 10:19.44
*In the multi-events, Blount is presently in fourth place with 3338 points followed by Linko in fifth with 3094 points. Blount finished second in both the 400m (50.21) and shot put (12.69m), while Linko's best finish of the day came in the 100 meter with a second-place time of 11.19 seconds
 
VMI Director of Track and Field Zack Scott
"Day 1 is in the books and we saw our team rise to the challenge. Andrew Granger was the first to score for VMI with a resounding hammer throw, earning himself the individual title for the event by more than  seven meters ahead of the field. Next to score was our decathletes Isaiah Blount and Kevin Linko finishing 5th and 6th over their first five events and moving over to pole vault.  Brandon Bauman finished eighth in the pole vault in his first SoCon Championship. Men's long jump completed with Keyandre Midgett finishing fourth with Charles Male breaking into the scoring group in eighth. 
 
Up Next
Tuesday's final rounds of competition will begin at noon with the multi-events.
 
 
 
Men's results – Day 1
1. Samford – 67 points
2. Furman – 40
3. Western Carolina – 33
4. VMI – 28
5. The Citadel – 26
6. ETSU – 23
7. UNCG – 11
8. Wofford – 6
 
Women's results – Day 1
1. Samford – 81.5 points
2. ETSU – 35
3. Wofford – 32
4. The Citadel – 24
5. Chattanooga – 16
6. Furman – 15
7. Western Carolina – 13.5
8. VMI – 10
9. Mercer – 7
10. UNCG – 0
 
Day 1 champions
Men: Hammer throw Andrew Granger, VMI (57.62 meters); long jump Edwin Rainey, Samford (7.27 meters); pole vault Jed Sisco, Samford (5.20 meters); javelin Tripp Marcus, Samford (67.51 meters); 3,000-meter steeplechase Carson Williams, Furman (8:46.56*); 10,000-meter run Dylan Christopher, UNCG (31:36.09).
 
Women: Hammer throw Hannah Daffin, Samford (54.15 meters); long jump Eleyah Armstrong, VMI (5.98 meters); pole vault Brittany Bishop, Samford (4.06m*); javelin Erin Long, Samford, (50.68 meters); 3,000-meter steeplechase Chanelle Kruger, ETSU (10:53.54); 10,000-meter run Lesley Green, Chattanooga (35:09.66).
 
* meet record
 
Men's All-Freshman – Day 1
Men's hammer throw
Jacob Thomas, Western Carolina
Dominick Dale, Western Carolina
Quin Goodson, Wofford
 
Men's long jump
Noah Straley, Western Carolina
Nathan Williams, Western Carolina
 
Men's pole vault
Carter Ellis, Samford
Ethan Fulford, ETSU
 
Men's javelin
Jackson Livingston, Western Carolina
Grayson Eady, Samford
Quin Goodson, Wofford
 
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Nate Hillis, ETSU
Abdul-Rahman Jaber, ETSU
Ben Kenner, ETSU
 
Men's 10,000-meter run
Andrew McGinnis, Samford
Owen Sharnas, The Citadel
Luke Taylor, Furman
 
 
Women's All-Freshman – Day 1
Women's hammer throw
Claire Harrison, Samford
Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina
Hannah Kunkle, Wofford
 
Women's long jump
Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina
Brooklyn Kirksey, Samford
Anaya Young, ETSU
 
Women's pole vault
Lindsey Havens, Samford
Hannah Pettyjohn, Samford
Taylor Hill, VMI
 
Women's javelin
Sadie Grove, The Citadel
Taylor Stingel, Wofford
Sam Barnes, The Citadel
 
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Chanelle Kruger, ETSU
Izelle Kruger, ETSU
 
10,000-meter run
Emma Jones, Furman
Sophie Beach, ETSU
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Brandon Bauman

Brandon Bauman

Multis / Pole Vault
Junior
Isaiah Blount

Isaiah Blount

Multi
Sophomore
Herbert Brooks

Herbert Brooks

Throws
Senior
Nick Brown

Nick Brown

Sprints/Relays
Sophomore
Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards

Sprints/Relays
Sophomore
Andrew Granger

Andrew Granger

Throws
Junior
Kevin Linko

Kevin Linko

Multis
Senior
Charles Male

Charles Male

Jumps
Sophomore
Liam McBride

Liam McBride

Hurdles-Long Jump
Junior
Keyandre Midgett

Keyandre Midgett

Hurdles-Jumps-Sprints
Junior
Xander Topos

Xander Topos

Hurdles/Relays
Sophomore
Ty Wesenyak

Ty Wesenyak

Throws
Senior

Players Mentioned

Brandon Bauman

Brandon Bauman

Junior
Multis / Pole Vault
Isaiah Blount

Isaiah Blount

Sophomore
Multi
Herbert Brooks

Herbert Brooks

Senior
Throws
Nick Brown

Nick Brown

Sophomore
Sprints/Relays
Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards

Sophomore
Sprints/Relays
Andrew Granger

Andrew Granger

Junior
Throws
Kevin Linko

Kevin Linko

Senior
Multis
Charles Male

Charles Male

Sophomore
Jumps
Liam McBride

Liam McBride

Junior
Hurdles-Long Jump
Keyandre Midgett

Keyandre Midgett

Junior
Hurdles-Jumps-Sprints
Xander Topos

Xander Topos

Sophomore
Hurdles/Relays
Ty Wesenyak

Ty Wesenyak

Senior
Throws