Bobcats aim for gold at conference meet

Thu, 05/11/2023 - 12:00am

TXST TRACK & FIELD

Thursday, May 11, 2023

After a regular season in which the Bobcats set five outdoor school records and posted marks or times that pace the Sun Belt in 10 different events, Texas State track and field is set to compete in the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships this Thursday through Saturday in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

On the men’s side, based on performance lists going into the conference championships, it will be a battle between Arkansas State, Texas State, South Alabama and Louisiana.

Each team has its strengths: Arkansas State in distance events, Texas State in sprints, South Alabama in distance and vertical jumps, and Louisiana in short sprints and 400 hurdles.

For the women, the top teams going into the championships are Arkansas State, Texas State, Louisiana and South Alabama. While Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss have performed well so far this spring, the top-four teams are evenly spread among the events with potential point-scorers based on performance lists going into the championships. The Red Wolves dominate in the distance events which gives them an overall points advantage while the Bobcats are strengthened against the rest of the conference by their throws squad.

Last year, Texas State finished third on the men’s side and fourth in women’s. The Texas State women have won the Sun Belt team championship twice (2017, 2018) while the men have won it once (2019).

Several Bobcats will be aiming for repeat individual conference championships this weekend. Katherine Stuckly, who has won three individual championships so far in her high jump career, is looking to repeat last year’s outdoor title when she cleared 1.79 meters/5-10.5 at the conference meet in Lafayette, La.

Dominick Yancy, who has won six Sun Belt championships, won the 400 meter title in 2022 and also helped the men’s 4x400 win the championship alongside Brian West, Taahir Kelly and Avery Veiseh.

Yancy enters the weekend with the top time in the Sun Belt this season in the 200 and 400 while Stuckly has the second- best women’s high jump.