RESULTS

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Lee University men's track & field team erased an early deficit to win its second GSC Indoor Track & Field Championship Wednesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The Flames entered the final event trailing Alabama Huntsville by 0.5 points.

The 4x400-meter relay team of Stacen Cunningham, Nokia Masengu, Titus Lagat and Jeremiah McCain posted a time of 3:18.46 in their heat. The foursome had to wait for the second heat to see if they had done enough to win the team title. Mississippi College recorded a first-place time of 3:16.95, while UAH slipped to fifth overall allowing the Flames to outscore the Chargers by four points in the event and win the GSC Championship by 3.5 points.

Following the meet, Christian Noble was named Most Outstanding Overall Performer and Most Outstanding Track Performer. Gift Nkosi was named Most Outstanding Field Performer with Zach Hancock of UAH. Will Stone was selected as the GSC Champion Scholar-Athlete.

The final day of competition began with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon. Cunningham was the top finisher in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.49 seconds. Caleb Long was in second at 8.58. Eli Brooks was eighth (10.08) and Daniel Surman ninth (10.10).

Surman, Brooks and Long were the top three finishers in the pole vault. Cunningham placed 11^th. In the final event of the heptathlon, Surman was third (2:56.51) in the 1000-meter run. Cunningham was fifth (2:59.84), Brooks placed ninth (3:02.64) and Long was 11^th (3:08.93).

Overall, Long amassed 4573 points to set a GSC Championships record and a Lee record. He placed first with Surman (4159) settling into sixth place. Cunningham finished eighth (4064) and Brooks was ninth (4029).

Noble set a meet record in winning the mile run. He crossed the finish line at 4:04.98. Hayden Judge was sixth at 4:10.67 and Aaron Himes (4:13.69) topped off the event scoring with an eighth-place finish. Carson Bix was ninth (4:14.28) and Adan Rodriguez was 11^th (4:16.97).

Noble added another first-place finish in the 3000-meter run. His time of 8:16.02 set a GSC Championships record, while Bix was just behind in second (8:17.70). Stone finished fifth (8:19.67), Casey Guthery was 11^th (8:31.53) and Silas Eckenroad placed 15^th (8:46.39).

Silusapho Dingiswayo finished the 200-meter dash in 21.85 seconds for third place. McCain (22.72) was eighth. McCain added a second-place finish in the 400-meter with a time of 48.21. Wynand Du Toit placed fourth (49.41) and Masengu was 10^th (49.99).

Lagat completed the 800-meter run in 1:53.24, but he had to settle for second after being edged by Mississippi College's Wesley Gibbs (1:53.23). Himes finished 10^th (1:56.22) and Jacob Hatcher (1:56.85) was 12^th. Judge (2:00.34) and Caleb Guthery (2:02.52) were 20^th and 21^st, respectively.

Masengu was fifth in the 60-meter dash final after stopping the clock at 7.02 seconds. Long, Cunningham and McCain gave Lee three runners in the top six of the 60-meter hurdles. Long was fourth (8.70), Cunningham finished fifth (8.71) and McCain was sixth (8.89).

Matthew Black and Camden Williams took on the weight throw. Black's mark of 15.82 meters was good for fourth and Williams finished ninth with a throw of 14.85 meters.

Nkosi recorded a triple jump of 13.92 meters to finish third. He cleared 1.96 meters to place second in the high jump. Long was sixth with a successful clearance of 1.75 meters.

Lee had 17 All-GSC performers with five First Team All-GSC honors and 12 Second Team All-GSC. Student-athletes that finished first and second in their events are named First and Second Team All-GSC. Noble led the way with three First Team All-GSC nods. Surman and Long earned First Team recognition in one event each. Lagat gathered three mentions as Second Team All-GSC. Cunningham and McCain were Second Team in two events a piece, while Himes, Judge, Masengu, Bix and Nkosi earned the designation in one event.