COLUMBIA, S.C. – The High Point University Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field teams were crowned the 2024-25 Big South Indoor Champions for the third straight season. Following the two-day meet held at the South Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex, the Panthers watched 23 student-athletes get crowned Champions in their respective events, helping the men's team total 238 points and the women's team total 256 points.
 
"I feel really good," Head Coach Mike Esposito stated. "We have an amazing group of young people and I have an incredible staff, so this is what we expect. We are very well rounded with the staff I have and I think that's why we're so good. I have the best staff in America and that's something we take great pride in. We're not distance oriented, we're not sprint oriented, we're not field… you know… we're a track and field team and that was on display here yesterday and today."
 
On day two, the meet kicked off with various field events which started with Alex Constantinou clearing a personal best and Big South meet record 2.18m in the men's high jump. Alongside Constantinou, Andrew Taylor placed second with a 2.15m height and Shaun Thomas placed third with a 2.04m height.
 
"One kid that I think really stands out is Alex Constantino in the high jump," Esposito added. "He was jumping at a bar to make the national championship, and I don't know if Alex was a 6'4" kid in high school but he's jumping at 7'. I don't want to just single him out, but that's one we take great pride in… that not we, but our coaches can develop kids… and when you have a kid that's engaged like he is with a coaching staff, that's how you develop."
 
Sydney Horn won her fourth career Big South women's indoor pole vault title after clearing 4.45m. Emily Romano and Lily Houston also made the podium after clearing personal best heights at 4.10m and 3.80m respectively.
 
"Our pole vaulters are pole vaulters," Esposito stated. "I think we have the best pole vault coach in the country with Scott Houston."
 
In the men's triple jump, Mobu Nwakor placed second with a 14.30m jump. Rounding out the field events, Alex Hoffman placed fourth with a 17.46m throw.
 
Finishing out the last three events in the heptathlon, Cole Wilson was crowned the Big South Champion after totaling a meet record, 5,705 points to earn his second consecutive indoor title. Overall, Wilson finished first or second in all seven events. Mauricio Galindo Vega placed second with 5,348 points to break the Guatamalan National Record. Evan Mills took third with 5,089 points while Felix LeBlanc placed fourth with 4,782 points.
 
The running events kicked off in the afternoon as the Panthers took gold in 11 events. Lindsay Cooper and Antonio Votour competed in the men's and women's 60m hurdles and each finished first. Cooper clocked an 8.52 time while Votour clocked a new program record 8.05 seconds.
 
Quiana Williams and Keshon Sapp represented the Panthers on the podium in the men's and women's 60m dash as Williams clocked a 7.47 time for a new program record and Sapp recorded a 6.78 time. Sapp also competed in the men's 200m and posted a new program record 20.94 time and placed second overall.
 
In the women's 200m, Dae'Nitra Hester was crowned the champion in back-to-back seasons after registering a season-best 24.31 time. She later earned a spot in second place in the women's 400m with a season-best 55.08 time.
 
In the men's 400m race, Kelly Bell, Tim Brown, Marquis Belle and Aidan Britt all placed second through fifth in the rankings, as Bell, Brown and Belle each recorded personal bests. The group of four later competed in the men's 4x400m relay and took gold with ease with a 3:11.14 time.
 
Two Panthers took to the podium in the women's 800m as Brianna Malone placed first with a 2:10.32 time and Mikayla Moxley placed second with a 2:11.98 time. Malone also took home gold in the women's one mile race with a 4:49.44 time joined by Alyssa Hendrix in second with a 4:50.68 time.
 
Camerin Williams crushed the Big South meet record and HPU program record in the men's 800m with a 1:49.49 time. Graham Ferguson placed second with a personal best 1:50.51 time. Ferguson was also crowned the men's one mile winner with a 4:05.50 time.

"Cam Williams may not have scored a ton of points, but his performance is pretty impressive," Esposito commented. "Obviously Keshon is a newcomer who was at two other schools, and he did okay there but now he's really flourishing here. That's a credit to him and that's a credit to Coach Pruitt.
 
Both Hendrix and Malone competed in the women's 3000m race as Hendrix took first place with a 9:32.91 personal best time and Malone placed second with a 9:36.18 time. Charli Montalvo was one second shy of the podium and placed fourth with a 9:40.04 time.
 
"Our women's distance team is dominant, and Remy Tamer does an amazing job with them," Esposito commented.
 
The women's 4x400m relay team made the podium in third place after registering a season-best 3:46.61. The relay team consisted of Cooper, Ebba Ahman, Ashari Pearson and Hester.
 
"I think that's three titles in a row," Esposito added, "and that's our level of expectation. Our goal is to take it to a whole new level."
 
UP NEXT:
A select group of Panthers who have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. will begin on March 14 through the 15 while the rest of the men's and women's team will begin the outdoor season on March 14 at the Phoenix Invitational.