BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With six of 17 events scored, the Lee University women's track & field team holds first place after the first day of action at the 2024 Gulf South Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The two-day event is being held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

The Lady Flames have accumulated 74.5 points and hold a 16.5 point advantage over second place West Georgia (58). Montevallo is in third (33) and Alabama Huntsville is fourth (31.5). Mississippi College sits in fifth (18), while Shorter and Christian Brothers are tied for sixth with six points each.

Lee claimed three event championships on the opening day with Liezl Theron leading the way in the pentathlon. Theron won four of the five events and was second in the other on her way to a championship-winning 3,535 points. Sydney White placed either second or third in the five events to finish second with 3,468 points. Lily Brown gave the Lady Flames three of the top four point totals after recording 3,002 points.

Brynn Depinet gave Lee its second individual championship in the pole vault. She cleared 3.80 meters to record a new GSC Indoor Record and win by 0.10 meters. Nicole Counter placed fifth with a height of 3.35 meters.

The distance medley relay team of Lily Hare, Carissa Hall, Letlhogonolo Magoro and McKenna Cavanaugh capped the opening day with the team's third event championship. The foursome combined for a GSC Indoor Record of 11:39.22 to finish nearly six seconds ahead of second-place Mississippi College. The time is also the fifth-fastest time reported in NCAA Division II this season.

The Lady Flames claimed four of the top eight finalists of the 5000-meter run. Paige Patterson stopped the clock at 17:15.18 for second and Danielle Horter (17:20.38) was third. Zoe Brickley crossed the finish line at 17:41.06 for sixth place, while Katie Krueger (17:58.26) finished eighth. Julia Halterman's time of 18:27.13 was good for 10^th.

Hall and Theron were Lee's two participants in the long jump. Hall placed third with a mark of 5.65 meters and Theron was fifth with a jump of 5.40 meters.

Olivia Davidson finished 15^th with a measurement of 10.44 meters in the shot put. Samara Brinks was right behind in 16^th with a toss of 10.34 meters.

Lee had two athletes advance to the final of the 60-meter hurdles. Hannah Wright posted the top time of the prelims at 8.65 seconds. Theron was fourth (9.12) to claim a spot in Friday's final. Lily Brown finished just outside of a spot in the final with a ninth-place time of 9.44 seconds. Sydney White stopped the clock at 9.59 for 14^th.

Wright placed third in the 200-meter dash prelims to advance to another event final with a time of 25.52 seconds. Janay Ryan put two Lady Flames in the event final with a seventh-place time of 25.57 seconds.