FAIRFAX, Va. – Paced by a "super-human effort" from John Seals, the George Mason men's and track field team captured the crown on its home turf.

The Patriots won their first Atlantic 10 Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship in program history in front of a boisterous home crowd on Sunday at the Field House. Seals led the charge with an impressive three gold medals in the high jump, 60-meter hurdles and breaking his school and facility records to win the heptathlon.

After finishing second to Rhode Island the last three years (their first three as members of the A-10), the Mason men totaled 214 points – the most since 2009 – to soar past the Rams (155.5 points). The Patriots claimed 10 gold medals and 18 total (four silver, four bronze). Seals was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer, freshman Tyler Benson was tabbed the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer and Mason head coach Andrew Gerard won Men's Coach of the Year honors for the second straight year.

The Mason women also represented well, finishing second with 107 points and winning seven medals (two gold). VCU grabbed the women's team championship with 126.83 points.

Seals, a junior from Springfield, Va., won his third straight high jump title with a leap of 2.04 meters. He also won his first 60-meter hurdles championship in a personal-best time of 8.17.

But making his weekend truly phenomenal was that he won those two gold medals while also dominating the heptathlon. Seals scored 5,770 points in the seven events, breaking his school record and Field House record for the second time (he scored 5,582 points at the Patriot Games last month). He won five events – 60 meters, long jump, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault – and finished second in the shot put and fourth in the 1,000-meter run.

Currently, his heptathlon score of 5,794 (converted for track size) ranks as the 10th best in the country this year. The top 16 competitors qualify for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 10-11 in College Station, Texas. Seals will have to wait a week to find out his fate as the window for qualifying marks for nationals close next Sunday, Feb. 26.

In addition to Seals' trifecta, five other Patriots won individual gold medals for the men's team.

Senior Bernard Freeman won his third consecutive gold medal in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.64 (and took bronze in the 60-meter dash). Ayo Raymond set a meet record in the 60-meter dash with time of 6.82. Evander Pierre won the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.81 and Rico Gomez captured gold in the 500 with a time of 1:03.47.

Like Seals, Gomez also won three gold medals. The sophomore from Upper Marlboro, Md., won in the 500 and was a part of the distance medley and 4x400-meter relay teams.

Raeshawn Bishop leaped to gold in the triple jump with a mark of 15.03 meters. He also took silver in the long jump on Saturday with a leap of 7.19 meters.
The distance medley relay team of Logan Miller (1,200 meters), Gomez (400), Blaine Lacey (800) and Brent Coulter (1,600) won the first gold of the weekend on Saturday night with a time of 10:02.40. The 4x400-meter relay team of Xavier King Jr., Evander Pierre, Benson and Gomez capped off the weekend by winning the last event with a time of 3:15.74.

Benson, a freshman from Warrenton, Va., was a part of that 4x400 squad and also took silver in the 500-meter dash (1:03.65) to earn Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors.

On the women's side, the 4x400-meter relay team of Ashley Lucas, Sarah Moore, Caela Williams and Sharon Dorsey set a meet record with a time of 3:44.74. They broke the A-10 Championship record of 3:45.40 set by Mason in 2014 on a relay team that included Williams.  

Shelby Garnand won the first gold medal of the weekend on Saturday, winning the pole vault with a mark of 3.75 meters.

While the indoor season concludes for most, the Patriots will have several participants compete in the Mason Last Chance meet next Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Field House.

GEORGE MASON MEDAL WINNERS
MEN
GOLD
60-meter hurdles – John Seals (8.17)
60-meter dash – Ayo Raymond (6.82)
200-meter dash – Bernard Freeman (21.64) 
400-meter dash – Evander Pierre (47.81)
500-meter dash – Rico Gomez (1:03.47)
Distance Medley Relay (Logan Miller, Rico Gomez, Blaine Lacey and Brent Coulter) – (10:02.40)
Triple Jump – Raeshawn Bishop (15.03 meters)
High Jump – John Seals (2.04 meters)
Heptathlon – John Seals (5,770 points)
4x400 (Xavier King Jr., Evander Pierre, Tyler Benson and Rico Gomez) – 3:15.74

SILVER
1,000-meter run – Nathan Schulte (2:31.55)
500-meter dash – Tyler Benson (1:03.65)
Triple Jump – Jim Tele (14.95 meters)
Long Jump – Raeshawn Bishop (7.19 meters)

BRONZE
60-meter dash – Bernard Freeman (6.89)
Long Jump – Jim Tele (7.09 meters)
Pole vault – Logan Besougloff (4.80 meters)
400-meter dash – Xavier King Jr. (48.88)

WOMEN
GOLD
Pole Vault – Shelby Garnand (3.75 meters)
4x400 (Ashley Lucas, Sarah Moore, Caela Williams and Sharon Dorsey) – 3:44.74

SILVER
Long jump – Chantel Richardson (5.78 meters)
400-meter dash – Sarah Moore (55.25)
500-meter dash – Sharon Dorsey (1:13.24)
4x800 (Ciara Donohue, Kyla Carte, Isabella Kuhn and Ashley Lewis) – 9:05.99

BRONZE
500-meter dash – Ashley Lewis (1:14.53)