CULLOWHEE, N.C. (April 27, 2025) - It was a red letter weekend for ETSU track and field at the Catamount Classic; specifically, the letters "SB" and "PR."

Four Buccaneers claimed wins in Cullowhee over the weekend to go with nine podium finishes, 11 season bests and 21 personal records in ETSU's penultimate event before the SoCon Outdoor Championships.

The usual suspects spearheaded ETSU's success. Micailah Cook won the women's 100m with a personal record time of 11.70 seconds and finished second in the 200m with a 24.11 second race time. Tya Blake won the triple jump with an 11.95m mark and finished fourth in the long jump at 5.53m. Jason Bowers won the men's 1500m with a season best time of 3:46.74 and finished third in the 800m with a time of 1:54.35. Jake Cannon claimed his second pole vault win of April with a personal record 4.90m mark, having won the pole vault at the Asheville Bulldog invitational two weeks prior.

Additional podium finishes were abundant. Reigning SoCon Men's Field Athlete of the Week Brent Bell finished second in the shot put at 15.31m and third in the hammer throw at 50.97m. Ethan Fulford joined Cannon in the pole vault and finished third after clearing 4.30m. SoCon women's indoor shot put champion Lexi Carter set an outdoor personal record in the event in Cullowhee with a 13.25m toss. Carter also competed in the hammer throw and the discus, setting PRs in both with a 36.62m hammer and a 35.62m discus. Deena Ludtke set a personal record in the women's 5000m with a second-place time of 17:37.61. Meg Lance finished third in the women's 800m with a 2:15.97, and Frania Romero-Barba took the second step on the podium in the pole vault by clearing 3.55m.

A boatload of Bucs set top marks for their seasons or careers over the weekend. Brianna Baker set a season best in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 14.68 seconds, finishing fifth, and also snagged seventh in the 400m hurdles with a 1:06.5. Ansley Archuleta finished eighth in the 400m hurdles with a season best 1:07.37. Julia Visgueiro paced the Bucs in the women's 1500m with a 4:48.68 to finish sixth, and Sophie Beach set a PR with a 4:53.47 final time. Taylor Walker and Andie Psilopoulos both set PRs in the women's 5000m race, Walker with a 19:14.53 and Psilopoulos with a 19:39.97 in her first event as a Buccaneer. Akera Molette set a season best in the high jump at 1.61m, finishing fifth. Gabriella Rodriguez set PRs in the 100m prelims (12.69 seconds) and in the women's 200m (26.02 seconds), and Hailey Lane set a season best in the 800m with a 2:40.21. In the throws, Emma Johnson posted a PR 24.82m in the javelin, and Morri Howell set a season best in the hammer throw at 34.51m. The Bucs set season bests in three of the four relay events: the women's 4x100m (48.21 seconds), the women's 4x400m (3:52.92), and the men's 4x400m (3:23.03). The women's 4x400m finished fourth in a field of 12, while the men finished fifth in a field of 12.

More personal records and season bests fell for the men's team. D'shawn Fletcher finished sixth in the 100m at 10.79 seconds after setting a PR in his preliminary race with a 10.72. Ben Smith set a PR in the men's 200m at 21.64 seconds, and Ethan Fulford's 110m hurdles time of 15.57 seconds set in the preliminaries was also a personal record. Conner Overly finished fourth in the men's 800m with a 1:54.65, while Chance Underwood set a PR at 1:57.67 and Hayden Waleski's 1:55.57 time was a season best. Waleski also finished ninth in the men's 1500m (4:01.17) and Chance Underwood set a PR at 4:04.30. Nathan Hillis led the Bucs in the men's 3000m steeple with a PR time of 9:41.54, and Ben Kenner finished sixth with a season best 9:58.00. 

In men's field events, Gavin Winegar set personal records in both the javelin (43.02m) and the discus (33.73m). Gavin Deery also set a PR in the discus (29.39m) and finished ninth in the pole vault, clearing 3.70m. Max Smydra set a PR with a triple jump of 13.71m, which landed him fourth in the event. Ethan Fulford rounded out the personal records with an 11.58m toss.

The Bucs will compete in their final event before the 2025 SoCon Outdoor Championships with the Big Orange Invite this Friday and Saturday in Knoxville.

For more information on ETSU track and field, go to ETSUBucs.com.