DANVILLE, Ky.—Senior Zachary Benner won the title in the 5k and five other Stormy Petrels earned All-Conference spots to lead the Oglethorpe track & field teams to a successful first day of the Southern Athletic Association Indoor Championships on Friday.

In addition to a handful of records dropping and All-Conference honorees, several other Petrels qualified for finals of their event as the championships are set to wrap up on Saturday.

Overall, Oglethorpe is fourth on the women's side with 20 points and fifth on the men's side with 17 points. The women are one point ahead of Rhodes while the men are seven points ahead of Sewanee.

Day One All-Conference Honorees

• Zachary Benner, SAA Champion | All-Conference first team (5k)
• Jordan McQueen, All-Conference honorable mention (Long Jump)
• Kirsten Rose, All-Conference honorable mention (DMR)
• Evan Thomas, All-Conference honorable mention (DMR)
• Allyssa Hearn, All-Conference honorable mention (DMR)
• Hannah Rhodes, All-Conference honorable mention (DMR)

Day One Highlights

• Benner had the top result of the day, breaking his own SAA Championships record in the 5k by four seconds. He ran 15:13 to secure 10 points from the top spot.
• Jordan McQueen had his second straight PR in the long jump as he leapt 6.93 meters to top his own Oglethorpe record set three years ago.
• Kirsten Rose, Evan Thomas, Allyssa Hearn and Hannah Rhodes finished the day on a high note for the women. In an Oglethorpe record time of 12:45, they earned third overall and a spot on the All-Conference team in the distance medley relay.
• Hailey Wright was the top point-getter for the women. She earned fifth in both the long jump and high jump with marks of 5.38 meters and 1.50 meters, the former a PR and Oglethorpe record.
• Keri Edwards also nabbed a huge PR in the long jump, finishing right behind Wright in sixth with a mark of 5.32 meters.
• Loni Gipson matched Wright in the high jump with a 1.50-meter jump. It was a PR and good for three and a half points for the Petrels.
• Demetrius Moore, Brandon Large, Noah Harmon and Jason Bredemann also scored a point for the Petrels in the DMR.

Day One Prelims

• Evan Thomas ran the top time in the 400-meter dash prelim. She ran 59.05 to secure a spot in Saturday's final.
• Freshman duo Zeno Goss and Philmon Laudat went 1-2 in the 400-meter dash prelim on the men's side. Goss won heat three while Laudat won heat two. They ran 50.20 and 50.47, respectively.
• Wright qualified for the final in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. She placed fourth in section two of the 60 and second in section two of the 200.  

Up Next

The second and final day of the SAA Indoor Championships is set for Saturday with action beginning at 9 a.m.