SEWANEE, Tenn. - Oglethorpe finished the Southern Athletic Association Championships strong, putting several Stormy Petrels on the podium on Saturday. Both the men's and women's teams finished fourth overall.

Zachary Benner earned distinction following the championships as the men's high point athlete of the meet. He scored 28 points with a pair of championships and one runner-up.

Men's All-Conference Honorees

• Zachary Benner – All-SAA first team, 5k champion
• Zachary Benner – All-SAA first team, 3k steeplechase champion
• Ashton Deriso – All-SAA first team, 1500 meter champion
• Ashton Deriso – All-SAA first team, 800 meter champion
• Zachary Benner – All-SAA second team, 10k
• Jordan McQueen – All-SAA second team, long jump
• Jordan McQueen – All-SAA second team, triple jump
• Jaylon Taylor – All-SAA honorable mention, high jump 

Women's All-Conference Honorees

• Riley Michaud – All-SAA second team, 3k steeplechase
• Malia Melton – All-SAA second team, triple jump
• Evan Thomas – All-SAA second team, 400 meters
• Malia Melton, Keri Edwards, Kirsten Wright, Evan Thomas – All-SAA second team, 4x100m relay.
• Amirah Ali – All-SAA honorable mention, triple jump

Men's Highlights

• Ashton Deriso won the 1500m with a time of 3:59. He also won the 800m with a time of 1:56, adding 20 points to the team's score. 
• Zachary Benner won the 5000m and the 3k steeplechase. His steeplechase time of 9:24.08 beat the school record by less than one second.
• Jordan McQueen took runner-up in the triple jump with a 13.62m mark. He was also runner-up for long jump, hitting a PR of 6.68m.
• Jaylon Taylor tied for third in the high jump, earning 5.5 points for a 1.90m mark. Logan Turner finished fifth to add four points.
• Anthony Arredondo placed fifth in the 5000m with a PR time of 15:44. Beck James followed in seventh just three seconds behind Arredondo. 
• Ugohnofure Awarieta took eighth in the 800m.

Women's Highlights

• Malia Melton finished runner-up in triple jump with an 11.72 mark, setting a new PR. Amirah Ali followed in third place and Keri Edwards in fourth. Edwards and Melton set a new PR, and together the trio earned 19 points for the team.
• Melton, Edwards, Kirsten Wright and Evan Thomas combined for a runner-up finish in the 4x100m relay. They set a new school record with a time of 48.23.
• Thomas was runner-up in the 400m with a time of 57.94.
• Wright finished fourth in the 200m, followed by Thomas 15 seconds later.
• Aubrey Guyden finished fourth in the 100m dash with a time of 12.23.
• Hannah Rhodes placed fourth in the 800m with a PR time of 2:20.
• Hailey Wright claimed fourth place in the long jump with a PR mark of 5.33m.
• Melton also placed seventh in the long jump with a PR mark of 5.17m.

Meet Notes

• K. Wright set PRs in both the 100m and 200m.
• Charles Waller set a new PR in discus.
• Antonio Fuentes also set a PR in the steeplechase.
• Blessia Carle and Kristian Jolly set new personal records in the discus.
• Brycen Sterling set a PR in the 200m.
• Allyssa Hearn hit a PR in the 1500m.
• Yvonne Minutello hit her new best mark in javelin throw. 

Up Next

The Stormy Petrels will compete in one final qualifying meet on Saturday, May 10, before the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, which will be held Thursday-Sunday, May 22-25, in Geneva, Ohio.