SAN MARCOS, Tex. -- Freshman
Lawson Benfield (Apex, N.C./Apex) finished eighth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and sophomore
Jalen Virgil (Lawrenceville, Ga./Mountain View) turned in one of the top times in program history in the 100-meter dash on Day 2 of the Sun Belt Championships at Texas State.
Through seven scored events, the Black and Gold sit in a tie for ninth place with Little Rock with two points. Texas State holds the team lead after the second day of competition with 52 points.
Benfield posted a time of 9:41.13 to finish eighth and score points for the Mountaineers. Freshman
Zachary Mercer (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville Senior) finished right behind in ninth with a PR time of 9:41.75.
Virgil entered the championships with the third fastest time in program history at 10.32 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He won his prelim race and finished second overall in the event in 10.29 seconds, which moves him into second place in program history. His victory in the preliminary race also qualified him for the finals on Sunday.
Senior
Ryan Hastings (Matthews, N.C./Porter Ridge) also earned his spot into the finals of the 800-meter dash, winning his heat and earning the second seed with a prelim time of 1:51.55. Sophomore
Sean Doyle (Rutherfordton, N.C./Polk County) also punched his ticket to the finals of the 800-meter dash, finishing eighth by .004 seconds and posting a PR time of 1:54.32.
Sophomore
Elliott Graves (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham Early College) qualified for the finals of the 110-meter hurdles on Sunday, finishing eighth in 14.32 seconds. Graves will also race in the 400-meter hurdle finals on Sunday.
The third and final day of competition on Sunday starts at noon EST with field events and 6 p.m. EST with running events. The day will feature 14 men's finals and will be broadcast on ESPN3 beginning at 7 p.m. EST.
Team Standings
1. Texas State, 52
2. Louisiana, 45
3. Arkansas State, 43
4. UL Monroe, 36
5. UT Arlington, 30
6. South Alabama, 23
7. Troy, 22
8. Coastal Carolina, 18
t9. Appalachian State, 2
t9. Little Rock, 2
