High Point Wins 2023 Big South Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship

High Point Wins 2023 Big South Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship

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ROCK HILL, S.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – High Point totaled eight podium finishes to complete its wire-to-wire victory and win its third-straight Big South Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship title on Friday with a final total of 239 points.  Campbell finished runner-up with 203 points, followed by Charleston Southern in third with 119 points.
 
High Point’s Chris Van Niekerk won his second gold medal to start the day, as he finished first in the discus with a throw of 52.56m.  The Panthers also medaled in the 1,500m (third-place), 800m (second and third), 400mH (third), 5,000m (second and third), and the 4x400m relay (second). 
 
In other action, Campbell’s Charles McBride II claimed his third consecutive high jump title with a Big South Championship Meet record and overall conference record-tying mark of 2.25m.  In addition, Campbell’s Dominique Alexander posted his second career sweep of the 100m and 200m.  His victory in the 100m featured a Meet-record time of 10.20, followed by a time of 20.29 seconds in the 200m.  Charleston Southern collected its first-ever Big South individual championships in the 400m Hurdles (Luciano Custodio, 51.26) and 5,000m (Micah Gilpatric, 14:31.38).  UNC Asheville concluded the event with its second 4x400m Relay win in three years.
 
Campbell’s Andre Douglas won the 110m Hurdles in 13.86, and his 28 accumulated points earned him the Most Valuable Athlete award.  High Point’s Nick Lourenco was awarded the Freshman of the Year honor for having the most accumulated points by a freshman with 10 at the conclusion of the Championship.  He won the pole vault on Wednesday.
 
McBride was tabbed Most Outstanding Performer based on having the highest ranking performance nationally at the meet using current TFFRS marks, as his record-breaking effort in the high jump Friday is tops in the nation.  Campbell Head Coach Virgil Givens and High Point’s Mike Esposito were voted Co-Coach of the Year by the league coaches at the conclusion of the meet, while Campbell’s Zachary Stein-Drago was voted Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the league’s sports information directors.
 
Men’s Final Results
  1. High Point – 239
  2. Campbell – 203
  3. Charleston Southern – 119
  4. UNC Asheville – 118
  5. USC Upstate – 54
  6. Gardner-Webb – 48
  7. Winthrop – 31 
Men's Most Valuable Athlete
Andre Douglas, Campbell
 
Men’s Outstanding Performer
Charles McBride II, Campbell
 
Men’s Freshman of the Year
Nick Lourenco, High Point
 
Men’s Co-Coach of the Year
Virgil Givens, Campbell
Mike Esposito, High Point
 
Men’s All-Academic Team
Zachary Stein-Drago, Sr., Campbell
Michael Calhoun, Jr., Charleston Southern
Joe Waller, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
Graham Ferguson, Soph., High Point
Dylan Major, Sr., UNC Asheville
Jared Keklak, Sr., USC Upstate
Bautista Vivanco, Jr., Winthrop
 
Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Zachary Stein-Drago, Sr., Campbell
 
Men’s Individual Champions – Day 3
Discus – Chris Van Niekerk, High Point
High Jump – Charles McBride II, Campbell
4x100m Relay – Campbell
1,500m – Rob Howorth, Charleston Southern
110m Hurdles – Andre Douglas, Campbell
400m – Jamel Miller, Campbell
100m – Dominique Alexander, Campbell
800m – Rob Howorth, Charleston Southern
400m Hurdles – Luciano Custodio, Charleston Southern
200m – Dominique Alexander, Campbell
5,000m – Micah Gilpatric, Charleston Southern
4x400m Relay – UNC Asheville
 
Men’s All-Conference Performers – Day 3
Discus
  1. Chris Van Niekerk, High Point
  2. Solomon McDonald, UNC Asheville
  3. Quentin Peterson, Gardner-Webb
High Jump
  1. Charles McBride II, Campbell
  2. Channing Ferguson, USC Upstate
  3. Holden Gerth, Charleston Southern
4x100m Relay
  1. Campbell
  2. Winthrop
  3. UNC Asheville
1,500m
  1. Rob Howorth, Charleston Southern
  2. Micah Gilpatric, Charleston Southern
  3. Othmane El Gharissi, High Point
110m Hurdles
  1. Andre Douglas, Campbell
  2. Jaden Jenkins, Campbell
  3. Zac Weas, UNC Asheville
400m
  1. Jamel Miller, Campbell
  2. Shawn Langley Jr., Charleston Southern
  3. Bryson Riddick, UNC Asheville
100m
  1. Dominique Alexander, Campbell
  2. Andre Bent, Campbell
  3. Jamal Miller, Campbell
800m
  1. Rob Howorth, Charleston Southern
  2. Jonny House, High Point
  3. Graham Ferguson, High Point
400m Hurdles
  1. Luciano Custodio, Charleston Southern
  2. Andrew Leslie, Campbell
  3. Terris Burton, High Point
200m
  1. Dominique Alexander, Campbell
  2. Jamel Miller, Campbell
  3. Jalen Anderson, UNC Asheville
5,000m
  1. Micah Gilpatric, Charleston Southern
  2. Hunter Steinau, High Point
  3. Othmane El Gharissi, High Point
4x400m Relay
  1. UNC Asheville
  2. High Point
  3. Winthrop