MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – For the second day in a row, a freshman Bobcat claimed a conference championship as Chris Preddie won the men's long jump at the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships on Friday at the Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.
 
Following up freshman Elisabet Runarsdottir's women's hammer throw title on Thursday, Preddie leapt 7.36 meters/24-1.75 in his penultimate attempt to go from second-place to first as a first-year Bobcat. He became the fifth Bobcat in program history to win a conference title in the men's long jump and first since 2018 (Ronnie Briscoe Jr.).
 
Preddie was one of five Bobcats who scored team points for the men on Friday. Grady Leonard finished second in the shot put with a mark of 17.97 meters/58-11.5. It was the second runner-up finish in as many days for Leonard as he also finished second in the men's hammer throw on Thursday. Simon Thor, meanwhile, finished fourth in the decathlon with 6,883 points. His best event was the pole vault where he had 837 points with a clearance of 4.76 meters/15-7.25.
 
Thor and Tye Eaton also scored points to end the day in the men's pole vault. Thor placed fifth with a height of 4.91 meters/16-1.25 while the freshman Eaton had a personal-best clearance of 4.76 meters/15-7.25 to finish eighth.
 
Drue Jackson scored points with his seventh-place finish in the long jump. He reached 6.86 meters/22-6.25 in his final attempt.
 
Lifted by Preddie, Jackson, Leonard, Eaton and Thor's combined 29 points on Friday, the Texas State men go into the final day with 47 points, which is currently third in the team standings.
 
"Freshman Chris Preddie did a great job winning the long jump for the men as we totaled 12 points in that event along with Drue Jackson's 7th-place finish," said Texas State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country John Frazier. "Our top women's group's points came from 3rd, 4th and 5th-place finishes in the shot put from Melanie Duron, Carly Watts and Ebony Wolridge. Also, to mention our other athletes who scored and helped us the move up in the point standings for both teams. We hope to capitalize with our numerous scoring opportunities in Saturday's events"

Another freshman reached the podium on Friday as Melanie Duron finished third in the women's shot put. The Laredo, Texas native had a toss of 16.06 meters/52-8.25 and led a group of three Bobcat point-scorers in the event. Carly Watts (15.52 meters/50-11) and Ebony Wolridge (15.50 meters/50-10.25) both had personal-bests and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
 
In the women's long jump, senior Amaya Brown scored team points with a fourth-place finish and leap of 5.83 meters/19-1.5. She registered the mark in her final attempt and took her from seventh to fourth in the results.
 
Luize Opola added team points with her seventh-place finish in the heptathlon. She scored 4,856 points.

The final point scorer for the Bobcats on the day was Megan Ombres who turned in a personal-best 10:55.17 to place fourth in the 3000 meter steeplechase. The time was not only a PB but also the fifth-fastest time in school history. She ran her second-fastest split in the final lap of the race, going 1:22.35 – which was third-fastest lap among all the racers in the final leg – and moving from fifth to fourth.
 
The Texas State women's team finished Friday with 39 points, which was third and trailed the leader Arkansas State by 24 points.
 
A number of Bobcats advanced out of Friday's prelims in the running events, including:

• Women's 100 meter hurdles: Sedrickia Wynn (13.33)
• Men's 110 meter hurdles: Daniel Harrold (13.84)
• Men's 400 meters: Taahir Kelly (46.19), Dominick Yancy (46.75), Brian West (46.98)
• Women's 100 meters: Sedrickia Wynn (11.37), Sadi Giles (11.61)
• Men's 100 meters: Ashton Callahan (10.50)

 
Kelly's 46.19 was a personal-best and also a facility record.
 
The final day of the conference meet is set for Saturday. The day will get underway with the men's triple jump at 11 am CT/12 pm ET while the running events start at 3 pm CT/4 pm ET. It can be watched on ESPN+ starting with the running events.
 
 
2023 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships
Day 2 – May 12, 2023
 
Decathlon
4. Simon Thor – 6,883 points
 
110 Meter Hurdles
10. 16.26; 704 points
 
Discus
1. 40.00m/131-3; 665 points
 
Pole Vault
2. 4.76m/15-7.25; 837 points
 
Javelin
1. 59.89m/196-6; 736 points
 
1500 Meters
8. 5:02.78; 544 points
 
 
Heptathlon
7. Luize Opola – 4,856 points
 
Long Jump
6. 5.38m/17-8; 665 points
 
Javelin
4. 39.61m/129-11; 660 points
 
800 Meters
13. 2:33.79; 646 points
 
 
Men's Long Jump
1. Chris Preddie – 7.36m/24-1.75
7. Drue Jackson – 6.86m/22-6.25
 
Women's Long Jump
4. Amaya Brown – 5.83m/19-1.5
17. Anayah Washington – 5.29m/17-4.25
 
Women's Shot Put
3. Melanie Duron – 16.06m/52-8.25
4. Carly Watts – 15.52m/50-11; PR
5. Ebony Wolridge – 15.50m/50-10.25; PR
10. Lauryn Small – 13.79m/45-3
 
Men's Shot Put
2. Grady Leonard – 17.97m/58-11.5
11. Tyler Noles – 15.56m/51-0.25
 
Men's Pole Vault
5. Simon Thor – 4.91m/16-1.25
8. Tye Eaton – 4.76m/15-7.25; PR
Cody Bullard NH
 
Women's 100 Meter Hurdles - Prelims
2. Sedrickia Wynn – 13.33; qualified for the finals
13. Ayesha Nelson – 14.25
 
Men's 110 Meter Hurdles - Prelims
1. Daniel Harrold – 13.84; season-best and qualified for the finals
DQ Treyvon Mays
 
Women's 400 Meters - Prelims
Daneille Lynch DNF
 
Men's 400 Meters - Prelims
1. Taahir Kelly – 46.19; PB, facility record and qualified for the finals
2. Dominick Yancy – 46.75; qualified for the finals
3. Brian West – 46.98; qualified for the finals
18. Cedric Williams – 49.61
 
Women's 100 Meters - Prelims
1. Sedrickia Wynn – 11.37; qualified for the finals
7. Sadi Giles – 11.61; qualified for the finals
19. Jordan Perry – 11.97; PR
21. Cara Johnson – 11.97; PR
27. Anayah Washington – 12.06
 
Men's 100 Meters - Prelims
6. Ashton Callahan – 10.58; qualified for the finals
9. Daniel Harrold – 10.58; missed the finals by four-thousandths of a second
 
Women's 800 Meters - Prelims
10. Breanna Clark – 2:15.05
19. Abigail Parra – 2:221.21; PR
21. Price Janecek – 2:24.98
 
Men's 800 Meters – Prelims
12. Santos Flores – 1:55.80
22. Avery Veiseh – 2:00.74
 
Women's 3000 Meter Steeplechase
4. Megan Ombres – 10:55.17; PR and 5th-fastest time in school history