CLINTON, Miss. – Mississippi College track & field delivered a strong showing at the Gulf South Conference Outdoor Championships, with both the men's and women's teams finishing third overall following three days of competition.

The Choctaws combined for multiple event titles, conference records and key scoring performances across all event groups, while Tristan Jusino-Lansing was named the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year following his standout performances.

Day 1 – Hammer Throw Record, Distance and Field Events Score Early

Mississippi College opened the meet with a historic performance in the throws.

Jacob Keesee won the men's hammer throw with a personal-best 57.60 meters (189 feet, 0 inches), setting both a GSC Championship record and a Mississippi College school record. Teammate James Miller followed with a second-place finish at 54.11 meters (177 feet, 6 inches).

On the women's side, Kennedy Thompson placed second in the hammer throw with a personal-best 49.40 meters (162 feet, 1 inch), while Rebekah Zweerink added points with a seventh-place finish at 42.78 meters (140 feet, 4 inches).

In the distance events, Bre Bell finished second in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase in 10:35.01, while Shana Sellers placed sixth in 11:22.50 (PR). On the men's side, Matthew Singletary ran a personal-best 9:15.32 to finish fifth and move to No. 6 all-time at MC, with Baxter Friedman (9:21.24) placing sixth and Preston Speed (9:28.96, PR) finishing eighth and moving to No. 9 all-time.

In the women's 10,000 meters, Kinley Harris placed third in 39:26.41, while Kathryn Finch (40:04.53) and Andi Kate Holley (40:22.70) finished sixth and eighth. On the men's side, Braedon Methvin finished third in 30:54.95, and Cooper Parmer placed fourth in 31:01.39.

In the field, Madison Flugence placed second in the long jump with a leap of 5.59 meters (18 feet, 4 inches), while Isabella Magyar cleared 3.25 meters (10 feet, 8 inches) to finish third in the pole vault.

Additional scorers included Schyler Chambers (6.82m / 22 feet, 4½ inches, 4th place) in the long jump, Bryan Puckett (48.61m / 159 feet, 6 inches, 7th) and Steven Conrad (47.74m / 156 feet, 7 inches, 8th) in the hammer throw, and Ethan Belcher (4.25m / 13 feet, 11¼ inches, 7th) in the pole vault.

Day 2 – Decathlon Title Headlines Strong All-Around Effort

Mississippi College continued its momentum on day two with a dominant showing in the combined events.

Jake McMillan won the men's decathlon with 6,974 points, setting a GSC Championship record and ranking No. 10 in NCAA Division II. Teammate Garrett Ross placed second with 6,507 points, giving the Choctaws a 1–2 finish in the event.

On the track, Lauren Wallace placed third in the women's 5,000 meters in 17:11.38, while Christian Balcer finished third in the men's 5,000 meters in 14:46.09. Additional scoring came from Taylor Benoit (17:14.27, 4th) and Kinley Harris (17:55.19, 8th), along with Braedon Methvin (14:49.38, 5th).

In the throws, Rebekah Zweerink led the way in the women's discus with a second-place finish at 41.98 meters (137 feet, 9 inches). Teammates Kennedy Thompson (40.03m / 131 feet, 4 inches, 4th), Keva Thomas (37.09m / 121 feet, 8 inches, 5th) and Morgan Thrift (35.94m / 117 feet, 11 inches, 7th) added points.

In the women's high jump, Mallory Dial cleared 1.63 meters (5 feet, 4¼ inches) to place second.

On the men's side, Jacob Keesee (44.58m / 146 feet, 3 inches, 5th) and Steven Conrad (44.16m / 144 feet, 11 inches, 8th) scored in the discus.

Day 3 – Championship Performances Close Out Meet

Mississippi College closed the championships with a strong final day, highlighted by multiple event titles and continued depth.

The Choctaws swept both 400-meter hurdles titles for the second consecutive year, as Haylei Mason won the women's event in 1:02.88, and Matias Vasquez captured the men's title in 51.92, setting a GSC Championship record and personal best ranking him 18th in division II.

In the middle-distance events, Lauren Wallace won the women's 800 meters in 2:11.91, while Gabe Hodson claimed the men's 800 meters title in 1:49.37. His teammate Samuel Hodson added a second-place finish in 1:50.38 to complete the 1-2 sweep for the Hodson Brothers. 

In the short hurdles, Tristan Jusino-Lansing won the men's 110-meter hurdles in 14.39, with Jake McMillan finishing second in 14.52. 

Mississippi College also captured the men's 4x400-meter relay title, as Matias Vasquez, Tristan Jusino-Lansing, Samuel Hodson, and Gabe Hodson ran 3:11.51.

In the field events, Matthew Coleman won the men's javelin with a throw of 61.62 meters (202 feet, 2 inches), while Bryan Puckett placed third in the shot put at 15.48 meters (50 feet, 9½ inches).

The Choctaws added multiple podium finishes, including Lauren Wallace (4:26.33, 2nd) in the 1500 meters, Madison Flugence (14.39, 2nd) and Haylei Mason (14.57, 3rd) in the 100-meter hurdles, and Tristan Jusino-Lansing (53.68, 3rd) in the 400-meter hurdles.

In the sprints, Brodie Roberts placed third in the 100 meters in 10.64, while Rayvious Williams finished eighth in the 200 meters in 22.01.

The Choctaws also added a runner-up finish in the women's 4x400-meter relay (3:50.79) from Haylei Mason, Alana Green, Anna Tucker, and Hilary Udechukwu, while the women's 4x100 relay (47.48) placed fourth.

Additional scorers included Taylor Benoit (4:32.72, 4th) and Bre Bell (4:33.53, 5th) in the 1500 meters, Hilary Udechukwu (56.01, 5th) in the 400 meters, and Alana Green (11.95, 4th) and Elyse Dorris (12.23, 6th) in the 100 meters.

With both teams finishing third overall, Mississippi College demonstrated depth across sprints, hurdles, distance, relays and field events, highlighted by record-breaking performances and repeat championship success in the hurdles.

The meet also marks the conclusion of a historic regular season for the Choctaws, as a select group of potential national qualifiers now turn their focus to postseason preparation ahead of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for May 21–23 in Emporia, Kansas