BIRMINGHAM, Ala.---The Mississippi College men's and women's track & field teams opened up the 2021-2022 indoor track & field season on Friday at the Birmingham Southern Panther Indoor Icebreaker at the Birmingham Crossplex. The Choctaws picked up four event titles including a meet record from Wesley Gibbs. Several Choctaws also set school records.

Wesley Gibbs, a Freshman from The Colony, Texas, set the meet record in the men's 800m with a time of 1:52.37 in his first ever meet as a Choctaw. He picked up the event title, while also setting the school record. Jake Russell picked up a 5th place finish with a time of 1:55.58. Preston Speed also finished 8th with a time of 1:58.66. 

Christian Balcer added MC's other individual event title in the men's 3000m with a time of 8:34.18. In the 3K, he was followed closely behind by Hunter Kurz who finished 2nd with a time of 8:36.84. Gabe Poulin (5th) and Adam Gomez (7th) both also finished in the top 7 in the event.

The Choctaws continued their recent success in the men's 4x400 relay as the group of Will Grames, Connor Stewart, Gabe Hodson, and Wesley Gibbs picked up the event title with a time of 3:21.10.

MC also picked up the title in the men's distance medley relay with a time of 10:11.81. Hunter Kurz, Cole Benoit, Brock Kelly, and Christian Balcer were the 4 runners for the Choctaws.

Tytavia Hardy also had a successful day as she picked up two top 10 finishes, plus broke her own school record in the 60m hurdles. Hardy set the school record in the prelims of the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.83. She then finished 10th in the event with a time of 9.11. She also finished 7th in the long jump with a distance of 5.29 meters.

Ezra McCaw added a pair of school records. She handily set a school record in the 200m dash with a time of 25.02. She added to that a school record in the 60m dash with a time of 7.82 in the prelims. She would then finish 12th in the event with a time of 7.84 in the finals.

Kiara Vance set a school record as well in the women's weight throw with a distance of 14.42m as she finished 7th. She was followed by Sakari Faulkner who finished 15th (12.24m) and Victoria Myles who finished 17th (12.08m).

Fabio Palmeiri also picked up a pair of top 5 finishes in the men's 60m and 200m dashes. He finished 2nd in the 200m with a time of 22.00. He paired that with a 3rd place finish in the 60m with a time of 6.87. Robert Grames also finished 8th in the 200m with a time of 22.53. 

Emma Langley finished in 2nd place in the women's 800m with a time of 2:20.04. She was followed closely with Caroline Dooling who finished 11th with a time of 2:31.18.

Al Ferrill picked up a 2nd place finish in the shot put with a throw of 14.77m. Christopher Garcia-Cloud finished 12th with a distance of 11.15m. Both men also picked up top 10 finishes in the weight throw. Ferrill finished 3rd with a throw of 14.90m. Garcia-Cloud finished 9th with a throw of 12.82m. 

Gabe Hodson also picked up a top 5 finish in the men's 400m as he finished 4th with a time of 49.97. Connor Stewart finished 14th with a time of 51.72.

Four Choctaws finished in the top 10 of the 1 mile run, led by Cole Benoit who finished 3rd with a time of 4:20.68. Brock Kelly finished 5th with a time of 4:21.58, Braedon Methvin finished 9th with a time of 4:23.87, and Chris Webber finished 10th with a time of 4:25.01.

On the women's side, three Choctaws finished in the top 10 in the mile. Leslie Baxter (5:28.46), Ava Dickerson (5:32.39), and Shelby Dean (5:39.27) all finished back to back to back 5th-7th respectively.

In the 3K on the women's side, Jazmin Hernandez led the way in 3rd place with a time of 10:19.75. Madeline Campbell then finished 5th with a time of 10:36.05. She was followed closely by Kathy Hammond (who finished 6th with a time of 10:38.96) and Josie Whipp (who finished 7th with a time of 10:41.79).

Zach McManus picked up a 3rd place finish in the men's long jump with a distance of 6.67m. He also paired that with another top 10 finish (7th) in the men's Triple Jump with a distance of 12.42m.

Adrianna Burage finished 6th in the women's high jump with a jump of 1.55m. Ryleigh Borbash finished 16th with a height of 1.45m.

Marina Rizk finished 14th in the pole vault with a height of 3.10m.

The women's 4x400 relay team of Ereyonna Gore, Emma Langley, Jazmin Hernandez, and Leslie Baxter finished 11th with a time of 4:09.02

The Choctaws will now wait a while before returning to action in January at the Emory CrossPlex Invitational on Saturday January 15th.