The FHU men’s and women’s track and field teams finished their seasons at the Mid-South Conference championships at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, on May 5-6, 2024.
With the top three finishers in each event earning all-conference team honors, the men’s team earned three all-conference awards, the most for the team at any one conference championship meet. All were earned on Sunday, the first day of competition.
In the first event of the meet, senior Nathan Mangrum came in third place in the 10,000 meter race. This is Mangrum’s first career all-conference team honor, which he adds to his two qualifications for NAIA national championships in 2022 and 2023.
Soon after, thunderstorms caused about three hours of delays. The conference men’s long jumpers, including seniors Caleb Bond and Hayden Cook, warmed up two times, only for lightning to chase all teams off the field for periods of time after each time, before finally clearing up enough for a third warm-up and the competition to take place.
The 4 x 800 meter relay team of Grant O’Neal, Daniel Puckett, Bo Scott, and Brock Windham finished in third place overall, in the process setting a new FHU school record with a time 8:09.83.
Likewise, freshman Barrett Poe came in third place in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a school record setting time of 9:37.72.
Also on day one of the meet, in the preliminary round of the 200 meter race, senior Sean Janiec ran the third fastest time in school history in 22.36 seconds, advancing to Monday’s final round. In the men’s javelin, freshman Greer Davis advanced to the final round, finishing in seventh place.
On Monday, day two of the championship meet, sophomore Megan Lampley continued her impressive performances in mid-distance events by running the fourth fastest 1500 meter time in school history, with a personal record time of 5:09.52. Lampley finished ninth overall, just one place out of scoring position.
In the men’s 400 meter race, Janiec ran the third fastest time in school history in 49.44 seconds, good for fifth place overall. Later in the day, during the 200m final, Janiec pulled up less than 100 meters into the race with a hamstring injury. Janiec finishes his FHU career with the top five 400m times in school history (probably closer to the top 15 times, but only the top five stay on record) and four of the top five times in the 200m, including the fastest time.
In the men’s mid-distance events on Monday, sophomore Puckett shined, finishing in sixth place in the 1500m with a school record time of 4:04.84. Puckett also set a personal record in the 800m in 1:59.79, finishing ninth.
FHU had three top ten finishers in the men’s 5000 meter race with Scott, Mangrum, and Drew Williams finishing sixth, eighth, and ninth, respectively. Mangrum finishes his FHU career by scoring in both the events he ran at the conference championship meet. He also holds the school records in the half-marathon and marathon.
In the team scores, the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) men’s team, currently ranked number one in the NAIA for the fourth straight week, won the conference title handily. Cumberlands’ women’s team beat out Cumberland University (Tn.) for the women’s title, with both teams ranked in the top ten in the NAIA in the most recent poll.
