FAIRFAX, Va. — The George Mason track and field program won two Atlantic 10 individual championships on day one of the 2022 A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championships, held at the George Mason Field House in Fairfax, Va.
In total, the Patriots won six medals on the first day of competition while 10 Patriots advanced to Sunday's running event finals.
The Mason men sit first in the team standings with 51 points while the women are second with 32 points.
Sophomore Xavier Shirley broke the A-10 Indoor Championship record in the long jump with a mark of 7.46 meters. It marked the first A-10 title of his career.
Senior Jaylen Simmons won his fourth Atlantic 10 individual championship and the first weight throw title of his career on Saturday. He posted a first-place mark of 20.29 meters to earn the Patriots 10 points in the event.
In the women's weight throw, Jessica McRae garnered a silver medal with a personal-record mark of 18.81 meters. Grace Gaudin finished fourth with a mark of 17.69 meters.
Mason earned two medals in the men's pole vault. Forest Flynn notched silver while Decker Barborek earned bronze. Both student-athletes posted heights of 4.65 meters in the event. Sophomore Ryan Cherry (4th, 4.35m) and Nicholas Scott (7th, 3.75m) also earned points for the Patriots in the event.
On the women's side, graduate student Autumn White earned a silver medal in the pole vault with a mark of 3.80 meters, clearing the height on her second attempt. Hannah Robertson placed fourth (3.65m) while Amber Askelson finished eighth (3.50m) in the event, both scoring points for the Patriots.
Sophomore North Suthumpun placed eighth with a PR of 6.80m in the long jump to score for Mason.
In the men's 5000m finals, junior Jack Ikenberry placed fourth (14:29.90), followed by Wesley Bond in 10th (14:54.93) and Willem Landis in 12th (15:08.18). Louisa Whittingham notched 12th on the women's side (18:00.21), followed by Audrey Corbet in 18th (18:24.53).
Kai Muniz, Nathan Polizzi, James Seal and Josh Yourish made up Mason's DMR. The group finished fifth with a time of 10:07.65 to earn four points towards the men's team standings.
Junior Cason Gardner sits fourth in the men's heptathlon with 2,982 points through four events. Freshman Ellis Nei is in third with 2,728 points. The final three events will take on Sunday, beginning with the 60m hurdles at 10:45 a.m.
Freshman Abby Weening finished fourth overall in the women's pentathlon with 3,368 points.
SUNDAY QUALIFIERS
10 Patriots advanced to Sunday's running event finals. Sophomore Isaiah Carter ran the fastest time in the 200m preliminary round (21.94) while Ed Deskins posted a time of 22.56 to both advance to the finals.
In the 60m dash, freshman Jalen Johnson placed third with a PR of 6.87 to qualify for the finals.
Michka-Mae Hyde (1:15.89) and Elijah Brown (1:06.54) both advanced to Sunday's 500m finals while Jarett Flaker (49.53) and Kelly-Ann Downer (57.02) qualified for the 400m finals.
In the distance events, Noelle Saine earned a berth in the 1000m event finals with a PR of 2:57.41. Alexis Anderson (2:14.65) and Paul McClain (1:57.77 PR) both moved on to Sunday's 800m finals.
The Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships will continue on Sunday, starting at 9 a.m. on ESPN+.
