DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Embry-Riddle Men's Track and Field won eight individual championships on the way capturing the program's sixth consecutive Peach Belt Conference Outdoor title at the ERAU Track & Field Complex. In total, the Eagles scored 295.5 points, ahead of second-place Flagler (140).
Brendon Shea started the day by winning gold in the 5000m with a time of 14:35.65.
Freshman
Carter Speh continued the Eagles' dominance in the decathlon winning the two-day event with a season and career-best score of 5,709 points.
Nathan Wyant, who had a PR of 20.51 in the 110m hurdles, won the bronze with 5,017 points, while
Stephen Baird, who had career-best performances in the 110m hurdles (20.35) and discus (25.98m), placed fifth with 4,371 points.
Chance Tressler won silver in the shot put with a career-best 14.70m, while
Jacob Swavely also posted a career-best mark of 13.70m.
Embry-Riddle won the conference crown in the 4x100m, as Craig Dedrick,
Walker Cowherd,
Kobe Diggs and
Derick Brown ran the event in 41.56, the eight
For the second year in a row,
Antonio Caito won gold in the triple jump with a 14.80m leap, while Diggs with the silver with a personal record of 14.64m.
Brown won the 110m hurdles in a personal record time of 14.70, which ranks as the 10th-fastest time in ERAU history.
Chris Abell (15.07),
Colin McHugh (15.19) and
Aaron Strauber (16.16) also set personal records as the Eagles scored 20 points in that event.
Jacob Fritz captured the bronze medal in the 800m, with a time of 1:51.71, the fifth-best in Embry-Riddle history. That event also saw
Charles Hruda (1:53.55),
Jack Brooks (1:56.85) and
Lucca DiMario (1:57.33) set career records.
McHugh took bronze in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.25, while
Chris Abell set a personal record of 54.27 to finish fourth.
Dedrick won silver in the 200m with a career record time of 21.94, while Cowherd also set a career record of 21.94.
The discus featured career-bests for three Eagle performers as
Jacob Swavely (43.95m),
Joshua Dixon (43.19m) and
Chance Tressler (40.46m) finished second, third and fifth, respectively.
Shea topped the podium again in the second-to-last event of the meet. Just three days after setting the program record in the 3000m Steeplechase, the junior won the conference title in that event with a time 9:24.33.
Embry-Riddle student-athletes were also the recipients of superlative awards handed out following the meet. Cowherd was the Embry-Riddle selection to the 2024 All-Sporstmanship Team, which recognizes an individual who best embodies the PBC core value of sportsmanship and fair play.
Swavley was named the men's Freshman Field Athlete of the year, while Tressler was named the Outstanding Field Athlete of the Year.
With his two gold-medal performances,
Brendon Shea won a share of the Outstanding Track Athlete of the Year and overall Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors, and Embry-Riddle head coach Mike Rosolino was named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in six seasons.
The Eagles are back in action on May 10 as they will send separate contingents to the Lee Last Chance Meet in Cleveland, Tenn. and the UMO Last Chance Mount Olive, N.C.
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle men's track and field season is presented by The Running Elements.
