JONESBORO, Ark. (3/8/23) – After sweeping the Sun Belt Conference indoor championships for the fourth year in a row, the Arkansas State track and field teams once again hauled in multiple postseason honors, the league office announced Wednesday.
A-State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Dr. Jim Patchell likewise swept the league’s Coach of the Year honors, the 17th and 18th of his career. The Red Wolves have won a combined 24 conference crowns under his watch, and became the conference’s winningest program indoors with 11 men’s titles and eight women’s titles.
Colby Eddowes was named Men’s Freshman of the Year, while fellow freshman Myles Thomas earned Men’s Newcomer of the Year honors. Camryn Newton-Smith, set to compete in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships Friday, was tabbed the Women’s Field Performer of the Year, with Rahel Broemmel lauded as the conference’s Women’s Freshman of the Year.
Eddowes scored a conference-record and school-record 5,805 points in the heptathlon in January, ranking 17th nationally and the top freshman in the NCAA. The freshman competed in open events at the conference championships, earning bronze in the 60-meter hurdles and placing fourth in both the high jump and long jump.
Thomas captured gold in the men’s 60 meters with a blistering time of 6.66 to become the first A-State men’s athlete to win the event since Jaylen Bacon in 2018. His time ranks second in school history behind Bacon and just .06 seconds shy of matching Bacon’s meet record.
Newton-Smith owns the second-highest pentathlon score in the NCAA this season – a Sun Belt-record 4,356 points in January, shattering her own school record. At the conference championships, she competed in open events, taking bronze in the high jump and finishing sixth and seventh in the long jump and 60-meter hurdles, respectively. She led the league during the regular season in the high jump and ranked fourth in the long jump.
Broemmel capped a strong first season as a silver medalist in both the mile and 3000 meters. The rookie owned the league’s top mark in the mile (4:42.69), breaking the school record as a freshman. She also ranked second in the conference in the 3000 meters with a time of 9:30.02.
Eighteen athletes garnered All-Sun Belt Conference honors, based on athletes’ highest podium finish at the championships. Gold medalists earned first-team honors, while those winning silver and bronze received second and third-team laurels.
Thirteen men earned all-league laurels, led by six first-teamers: Myles Thomas, Hannes Fahl, Bradley Jelmert, Courtney Thomas, Jacob Tracy and Aimar Palma Simo. Four Red Wolves took second-team nods: Lasse Funck, Ryan Parson, Jacob Pyeatt and Will Glass, while three earned third-team honors: Grayson Young, Colby Eddowes and Willem Coertzen.
Five women received all-conference accolades, including Cheyenne Melvin and Pauline Meyer on the first team. Broemmel and Hannah Morris took second-team honors, with Newton-Smith receiving a third-team billing.
NEXT UP
A stellar indoor season concludes Friday, with Newton-Smith competing in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships, held in Albuquerque, N.M. She is slated to begin competition at 11:20 a.m. CT at the Albuquerque Convention Center, with the entire meet being broadcasted on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State track and field and cross country programs, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @Arkansas_State_Track on Instagram, while also liking the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.
2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE INDOOR TRACK & FIELD POSTSEASON HONORS
MEN
High-Point Scorer: Kirami Yego, South Alabama
Track Performer of the Year: Kirami Yego, South Alabama
Field Performer of the Year: Ali Unlu, ULM
Freshman of the Year: Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
Newcomer of the Year: Myles Thomas, Arkansas State
Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
WOMEN
High-Point Scorer: Sedrickia Wynn, Texas State
Track Performer of the Year: Sedrickia Wynn, Texas State
Field Performer of the Year: Camryn Newton-Smith, Arkansas State
Freshman of the Year: Rahel Broemmel, Arkansas State
Newcomer of the Year: Jacqueline Pokuaah, Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE INDOOR ALL-CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM – 8
Women (2)
Cheyenne Melvin
Pauline Meyer
Men (6)
Myles Thomas
Hannes Fahl
Bradley Jelmert
Courtney Thomas
Jacob Tracy
Aimar Palma Simo
SECOND TEAM – 6
Women (2)
Rahel Broemmel
Hannah Morris
Men (4)
Lasse Funck
Ryan Parson
Jacob Pyeatt
Will Glass
THIRD TEAM – 4
Women (1)
Camryn Newton-Smith
Continued here:
A-State Track & Field Racks Up SBC Indoor Postseason Honors. Article may or may not reflect the views of KLEK 102.5 FM or The Voice of Arkansas Minority Advocacy Council
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