By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — Six Mountaineers have advanced to the NCAA East First Round, as announced on the NCAA website on Thursday. Graduate student Patrick Freeman, redshirt senior Calbert Guest, junior Ava Studney, sophomores Matthew Gray and Kendall Johnson and freshman Lilly Nichols have been accepted into the competition.

The NCAA East First Round will be hosted by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 28-31. The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+.

A trio of Mountaineers will be making their second appearance at the NCAA East First Round, having qualified in previous years. Both Gray and Studney will make their second consecutive appearances in the meet, as the pair previously qualified in the men’s and women’s pole vault categories in 2024. Guest will make his return to the Jax Track at Hodges Stadium, where he made his previous appearance in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2023.

Freeman and Gray will start the Mountaineers off on Wednesday with the men’s pole vault, which is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. The duo had broken the school record at the App State Open (April 18-19) with matching clearances of 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). Gray went on to surpass the record on two more occasions, first clearing a bar of 5.38m (17′ 7.75″) at the Sun Belt Championships to secure silver and Second Team All-Sun Belt honors, before recording a clearance of 5.43m (17′ 9.75″) in front of a home crowd at the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18. Gray and Freeman enter the competition ranked 14th and 19th, respectively, in the final NCAA East First Round Qualifying List.

Johnson, Nichols and Studney will each compete on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Nichols and Studney will compete in the women’s pole vault and enter the competition ranked 34th and 43rd, respectively, in the qualifying list. Nichols broke the women’s pole vault program record twice this spring, first at the Sun Belt Championships (May 8-10) with a clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″), and then with a clearance of 4.16m (13′ 7.75″) at the Sunday Night Qualifier (May 18). Nichols secured silver and Second Team All-SBC honors for her performance at the SBC Championships and now holds the women’s indoor and outdoor pole vault program records. Studney recorded a personal best clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″) at the Sunday Night Qualifier and stands second in the App State all-time list for her performance.

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Johnson will race in the first round of the women’s 100 meters. The top 24 finishers will advance to Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. women’s 100-meter quarterfinal. Johnson rounds out the qualifying list’s top 25 after she stopped the clock at 11.33 in the women’s 100 meters at the Sun Belt Championships (May 8-10). Her time launched her to second in the App State all-time list, just shy of the program record of 11.22, which Lamonda Miller set in 1989.

Friday’s action will feature Guest in the 5:40 p.m. men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase competition. Guest stands 17th in the qualifying list after he stopped the clock at 8:42.01 to break the program record in the event at the Penn Relays (April 24-26). Guest earned Sun Belt Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors for his efforts.

The top 12 finishers in each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event from the NCAA East First Round will advance to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on June 5-8.

MEET SCHEDULE: click HERE

LIVE RESULTS: click HERE

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — App State women’s basketball coach Alaura Sharp announced the addition of Feryal Defne Atli to the 2025-26 roster on Thursday.

Feryal Defne Atli | 6′ 3″ | F | Mersin, Türkiye | Ankara Ari College | West Virginia

Joining the Mountaineers from Mersin, Türkiye, Atli will compete as a forward. Atli spent her freshman season at West Virginia, where she appeared in eight games for the Mountaineers. She also played for the Cankaya University Sports Club team under the direction of Sefa Gunduz and Kursat Keskintumur. She played alongside former WNBA players Brook McCarthy, Shatori Walker, and Nathalie Fontaine while on the Cankaya University Sports Club team.

Additionally, Atli has several years of experience playing for the Türkiye National Team, appearing in multiple international championships. She was the youngest player to be called up to the 2024 U20 Turkish National Team at 17 years old. Atli also served as the captain of the U18 team, which competed at the 2024 FIBA European Championship in Portugal. For three consecutive seasons, Atli led the U19 Turkish league in rebounds. Her most memorable experience was going to China for the School World Championship and helping her team to a fifth-place finish. She is also a four-time First Five tournament team selection.

Atli plans on studying biology while in the High Country with the goal of becoming a neuroscientist. She also enjoys putting together Lego sets in her free time.

Why Atli Chose App State: “I chose App State because there is a really realistic family structure here. The campus is really beautiful, and Coach Sharp is a really good coach. I think she will teach me really good things and will develop me in every way.”

Sharp on Atli: “We are proud to add Defne to our roster. She is a high character, fun and engaging person. Her ceiling as a player is incredibly high. She gives us an inside and outside presence who has competed at a high level internationally.”

By Joey Jones. BOONE, N.C. — App State has named Ragan Henderson as its new Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Event Management.

Henderson, a former all-conference football student-athlete and athletics administrator at Sam Houston, will oversee the facilities and event management unit while serving as a member of the department’s administrative leadership team. He will also manage capital projects for App State Athletics.

“I’m honored and excited to join the App State family and be part of a program with such a proud tradition and an even brighter future,” Henderson said. “I’m passionate about creating championship-level experiences for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans, and I’m ready to get to work with an outstanding team. Thank you to Doug Gillin and Jonathan Reeder for entrusting me with this opportunity. Boone already feels like the perfect fit for my family and me, and we’re thrilled to call it home and be all in for the Mountaineers!”

Since 2023, Henderson served as the Associate AD for Sports Operations at his alma mater, where he oversaw the department’s budget, acted as the primary sports administrator for men’s basketball, assisted in the management of the football program, and directed strategic and operational aspects of Bearkat programs.

Henderson’s tenure on staff at Sam Houston began in 2020 when he was named the department’s Athletic Equipment Coordinator and Assistant Director of Football Operations. He was appointed the Coordinator of Sports Operations in 2022 before earning his Associate AD title in 2023.

A former tight end and running back for the Bearkat football team, Henderson was a member of the most successful senior class in program history. From 2013-17, Henderson helped the Bearkats win a pair of conference titles and make five appearances in the FCS playoffs – including three times to the national semifinals.

He played in 50 games for the Bearkats as a tight end and short yardage back, earning his way to an All-Southland Conference nod as a tight end/H-back his senior year in 2017.

A native of Rice, Texas, Henderson earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s degree in sport management from Sam Houston. He is married to Kori, a former member of the Sam Houston track & field team. The couple has two sons, Sidney and Lindsey.

By Jacob Plecker. BOONE, N.C. – App State Men’s Basketball head coach Dustin Kerns on Wednesday announced the hiring of Tim Johnson to his coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Johnson, who joins the Mountaineers after spending the 2024-25 season with the Indiana State Sycamores, brings more than a decade of coaching experience at the Division I level. He has also made coaching stops at Wyoming, Wofford, James Madison and Furman.

“We are super excited about Tim Johnson being added to the App State Basketball family,” said Kerns, who coached with Johnson for four seasons at Wofford. “Tim has impacted a lot of winning as a player and coach in college basketball. He is a great fit for App State, our staff and our players. Tim is the total package and will help our program in many ways. Tim has proven himself as an elite recruiter and is exceptional at player development. Most importantly, he is a great person and role model for our players. Please welcome Tim, his wife Brittany, and three beautiful children, Westin, Londyn, and Jasmin, to Boone and the High Country.”

At Indiana State, Johnson helped guide the Sycamores to the highest-scoring offense in the Missouri Valley Conference, averaging 80.1 points per game. They boasted one of the best offenses in the country in Johnson’s first season, as they finished in the top 50 in the NCAA in bench points (29.1, 22nd), 3-pointers made per game (10.1, 22nd) and effective field-goal percentage (55.1 percent, 37th).

Johnson was essential in helping develop Samage Teel into a first-team All-MVC player and an NABC All-District second-team selection last season. Teel finished third in the league in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game. Teel was also one of the best passers in the Missouri Valley, finishing third in assists per game.

“I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to join Dustin Kerns and his staff at App State,” Johnson said. “Over the years, they have built a winning program sustained by high-level people, institutional cohesiveness and shared values. My wife and I could not think of a better place to raise our family. We are very excited to return home to the Carolinas.”

@ Furman, Wyoming and Wofford

Prior to his time at Indiana State, Johnson helped lead the Furman Paladins to one of the most successful runs in program history from 2019 to 2024. While at Furman, he was part of 108 wins and a 62-25 record in Southern Conference play. He also was part of Furman’s record-breaking 28-win season in 2022-23, which culminated in a SoCon regular season title, the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 40-plus years via a SoCon tournament title and an NCAA win over No. 4 seeded Virginia.

During his five years in Greenville, S.C., Johnson coached seven all-conference players and the 2023 SoCon Player of the Year in Jalen Slawson. Slawson was also named a finalist for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award and selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson is known as a relentless recruiter, and that proved to be true during his time with Furman, as he served as the lead recruiter for JP Pegues, the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament MVP. Pegues was a first-team all-conference selection in 2023-24 and scored more than 1,000 points in just three years.

Before joining the Furman staff, Johnson served for two seasons on the staff at James Madison. He helped coach the Dukes to the No. 2-rated defensive team in the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) and a win increase by 30 percent each season. Johnson was also the lead recruiter for Julien Wooden, who finished his James Madison career as the program’s leader in games played (146) and wins (91).

Following a successful playing career at Wofford from 2006-11, with one stop in between, Johnson joined the Terriers’ staff in 2013, when he and Kerns coached together for four seasons under head coach Mike Young. Johnson helped guide the Terriers to back-to-back Southern Conference titles in 2014 and 2015. Johnson was part of Wofford’s most successful season in program history in 2014-15, which saw the team win a program-record 28 games and a SoCon regular-season title.

Working primarily with the Terriers’ post players, Johnson helped guide Lee Skinner to Southern Conference Tournament MVP honors in 2015 and an all-conference selection. Additionally, Johnson helped Cameron Jackson become one of the top forwards in the SoCon in 2016-17. Jackson went from averaging four points per game in 2015-16 to 12 points per game in 2016-17.

After his graduation from Wofford in 2011, Johnson got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Wyoming, where he spent two seasons. Johnson helped lead the Cowboys to consecutive postseason appearances in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Johnson was able to mentor and aid in the development of Larry Nance Jr. at Wyoming during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Nance averaged 10.7 points and seven rebounds in his sophomore season and went on to become an All-Mountain West Conference player as well as the 27th pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Johnson is a 2016 Wofford Hall of Fame inductee who ended his four-year playing career as the only player in the program’s Division I era to record 1,000 career rebounds. He helped lead the Terriers to their first two SoCon Tournament championships and the program’s first two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was also a two-time All-SoCon selection.

Johnson averaged a SoCon-best 8.5 rebounds in the 2010-11 season and grabbed his 1,000th rebound at the NCAA Tournament against BYU. He finished fifth in the SoCon in rebounding in his junior season and was the only player on the team to start all 30 games in his sophomore season.

Johnson graduated from Wofford with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2011 and was named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll three times. He earned his master’s degree in communication (with an emphasis in journalism) from Wyoming in 2013.

Johnson’s Coaching Career

2011-13: Wyoming – Graduate Assistant
2013-17: Wofford – Assistant Coach
2017-19: James Madison – Assistant Coach
2019-24: Furman – Assistant Coach
2024-25: Indiana State – Assistant Coach

By Matt Present. NEW ORLEANS, La. — App State shortstop Tyler Lichtenberger has been named the Sun Belt Baseball Freshman of the Year, while he, Kameron Miller and Tyler Figueroa earned all-conference honors the league announced Monday.

Lichtenberger earned first-team recognition at shortstop, while Miller represented the league as its first-team designated hitter. Figueroa garnered second-team recognition as a utility player.

It marks the first time since 2021 that App State earned three all-conference selections, while Lichtenberger became the second App State player to earn Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors, joining Austin St. Laurent (2022). Scott Waugh (1988), Johnny McCraw (1989), Kenny Osborne (1993) and Jaylin Davis (2013) earned Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

Lichtenberger burst onto the scene in 2025, reaching base safely in each of his first 34 games played. Overall, Lichtenberger has reached base safely in 46 of his 52 games played, registering hits in 40 of those contests, including a team-leading 24 multi-hit efforts. The Boca Raton, Fla. native ranks among Sun Belt leaders in batting (seventh – .342) and hits (sixth – 69), while his 40 hits in league play are also tied for fourth-most in the conference.

Lichtenberger has impacted the game in all facets. He has hit 13 doubles and stolen seven bases, while he has been a part of 21 double plays turned defensively. He was named to the mid-season watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented to the top shortstop in college baseball at the conclusion of the season.

Miller turned himself into a complete hitter in his sophomore campaign. He has reached base safely in 37 of his last 40 games, including an 11-game hitting streak during that span. Miller has belted 12 home runs this season including a 471-foot blast against Western Carolina on April 8, the longest measured for an App State player in the TrackMan Era (since 2019). Miller ranks among Sun Belt leaders in OBP (fifth – .470), walks (fifth – 41), on-base (sixth – .473), RBIs (sixth – 50) and OPS (seventh – 1.049).

In Sun Belt play the Harrisburg, N.C. native ranks among Sun Belt leaders in OBP (second – .514), walks (tied second – 27), batting average (third – .368), OPS (third – 1.146), RBIs (third – 35) hits (tied seventh – 39), slugging (eighth – .632) and home runs (ninth – 8). Miller has walked a team-leading 41 times this season after not walking once as a freshman. He has also recorded 17 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI efforts.

Figueroa has been one of the most versatile players in the Sun Belt this season, starting games at second base, third base, left field and center field. The Colonie, N.Y. native has played in all 53 games (starting 52), leads the team with 43 runs scored and ranks second with 14 doubles. Figueroa also paces the Mountaineers with seven stolen bases and has committed just three errors defensively. Figueroa was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week on April 8 after going 8-for-19 (.421) at the plate, with a double, three home runs, 10 RBIs and five runs scored against Western Carolina and ULM.

App State Baseball opens Sun Belt Tournament play on Tuesday at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala. The 10th-seeded Mountaineers will face seventh-seeded Texas State at 4 p.m. ET in an elimination game, with the winner advancing to the double-elimination portion of the tournament on Wednesday.

Player of the Year
Nick Monistere, Southern Miss (Jr., 2B – Brandon, Miss.)

Pitcher of the Year
Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina (RS So., RHP – Flushing, Mich.)

Newcomer of the Year
Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State (Sr., 2B – Flowery Branch, Ga.)

Freshman of the Year
Tyler Lichtenberger, App State (Fr., SS – Boca Raton, Fla.)

Tony Robichaux Leadership Award
Carson Paetow, Southern Miss (Sr., OF – Vancleave, Miss.)

Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Kevin Schnall, Coastal Carolina

All-Sun Belt First Team

P Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina (So., RHP – Egg Harbor Township, N.J.)
P Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina (RS So., RHP – Flushing, Mich.)
P JB Middleton, Southern Miss (Jr., RHP – Yazoo City, Miss.)
RP Colby Allen, Southern Miss (Jr., RHP – Louisville, Miss.)
C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina (Jr., C – Haddon Heights, N.J.)
1B Blake Cavill, Troy (Sr., 1B – Sydney, Australia)
2B Nick Monistere, Southern Miss (Jr., 2B – Brandon, Miss.)
SS Tyler Lichtenberger, App State (Fr., SS – Boca Raton, Fla.)
3B Jesse Donohoe, Georgia State (Sr., 3B – Columbus, Ga.)
OF Josh Tate, Georgia Southern (Jr., OF – Peachtree City, Ga.)
OF Conor Higgs, Louisiana (RS Sr., OF – Texas City, Texas)
OF Carson Paetow, Southern Miss (Sr., OF – Vancleave, Miss.)
DH Kameron Miller, App State (So., DH – Harrisburg, N.C.)
UT Austin Eaton, Texas State (RS Sr., UT – Frisco, Texas)

All-Sun Belt Second Team

P Griffin Miller, Marshall (So., RHP – Madison, W.Va.)
P Mitchell Heer, South Alabama (Sr., RHP – Acworth, Ga.)
P Garrett Gainous, Troy (Sr., RHP – Cairo, Ga.)
RP Dominick Carbone, Coastal Carolina (So., LHP – Rocky Point, N.Y.)
C Brooks Bryan, Troy (Jr., C – Opelika, Ala.)
1B Matthew Russo, Southern Miss (Jr., 1B – Madisonville, La.)
2B Kaleb Freeman, Georgia State (Sr., 2B – Flowery Branch, Ga.)
SS Ozzie Pratt, Southern Miss (Sr., SS – Alesville, Miss.)
3B Chase Mora, Texas State (Jr., 3B – Tomball, Texas)
OF Sean Smith, Georgia Southern (Sr., OF – Moss Point, Miss.)
OF Isaiah Walker, ULM (Sr., OF – Houston, Texas)
OF Jake Cook, Southern Miss (RS So., OF – Madison, Miss.)
DH Caleb Stelly, Louisiana (Jr., DH – Baton Rouge, La.)
UT Tyler Figueroa, App State (So., UT – Colonie, N.Y.)

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For what started out as a pitcher’s duel, the App State vs. Georgia State “winner-take-all” baseball game on May 17 at Smith Stadium experienced a power surge in the later innings. The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth and sixth frames, then held on to edge the Panthers, 5-4, at the end of nine innings.

It was a bright, beautiful day for baseball with a lot at stake for the outcome. App State entered the day with a tenuous hold on the No. 10 spot in the Sun Belt Conference standings, with Georgia State nipping at their heels at No. 11. Only 10 teams qualify for next week’s Sun Belt Conference tournament. App State needed the win to secure 10th place. Should Georgia State have won, they would be going to Montgomery, Ala. for the conference tournament and App State’s season would have ended. It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that for a last game of the regular season.

Well, it was Senior Day at Smith Stadium — and in more ways than one. Of course there were the pre-game ceremonies honoring the seniors but three of them figured prominently in the afternoon’s outcome.

App State’s Caleb Cross commanded the mound for five scoreless innings before running into some trouble in the sixth, but thanks to some timely offense by his teammates  the redshirt senior was credited for the win.

Graduate student Bradley Wilson gave up a 3-run home run in the sixth inning, in relief of Cross, but earned his first career save by wigging out of trouble the rest of the way.

And catcher Braxton Church, a native of North Wilkesboro, narrowly missed hitting a grand slam home run, his sixth inning blast off the right field wall clearing the bases of Kameron Miller, Tyler Lichtenberger and Juan Correa, who had all reached base ahead of him.

As it was, Church’s 3-RBI double turned out to be the difference in the game, at least offensively, as the Panthers rallied in the top of the 7th inning to narrow the deficit to just one run. After GSU shortstop Carter Bailey singled to lead off the 7th, centerfielder Cooper Milford doubled to the right centerfield gap, scoring Bailey. With App State’s Wilson coming on in relief of Cross, Milford was forced to wait patiently at second base until a fly ball to center allowed him to tag up and advance to third. But he didn’t have to wait long, since first baseman Jess Donohoe brought him home with a 2-RBI home run, raising the hopes of the Panthers for a trip Montgomery next week and a bite at the SBC tournament apple.

Wilson wiggled out of trouble in the top of the 8th inning, thanks largely to a sparkling double play orchestrated by App State shortstop Tyler Lichtenberger. The freshman from Boca Raton, Fla. fielded a sharply hit ground ball to his left, let his momentum carry him to step on second to force out William Maginnis, then whipped the ball to a stretching first baseman Juan Correa at first to double up the Georgia State batter-turned-runner, Michael Maginnis.

The Panthers actually outhit the Mountaineers, 9-6, but stranded eight runners on base.

With the win, App State advances to the Sun Belt Conference tournament as the No. 10 seed where they will face No. 7 Texas State in the single elimination format of the opening round on Tuesday, May 22 (4 p.m. Eastern time), which amounts to a “play-in” game for the double elimination main event. A second single elimination game pits No. 8 Arkansas State against No. 9 seeded Georgia Southern. The respective winners will advance to the double elimination tourney, first facing No. 1 seeded Coastal Carolina or the No. 2 seed, Southern Miss.

Key Performers

• APP – Braxton Church: 1-1, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, 2B, 2 walks
• APP – Tanner McCammon: 1-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR
• APP – Caleb Cross: winning pitcher (7-4), 6 IP, allowed 3 runs on 5 hits. 4 walks, 8 strikeouts, allowed 2 extra base hits (2B, HR)
• APP – Joseph Zamora: 2-3, walk
• GSU – Kaleb Freeman: 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 2B, HR, walk
• GSU – Jesse Donahoe: 1-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR, 2 walks
• GSU – Carter Milford: 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 2B

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball trimmed a three-run deficit to one in the seventh inning but was unable to complete the comeback bid in a 4-2 loss to Georgia State on Thursday at Smith Stadium.

Elsewhere in conference play, ULM defeated South Alabama, pulling the Mountaineers one win away from clinching a spot in next week’s Sun Belt tournament.

Despite out-hitting Georgia State (25-29, 10-18) 9-6 in the contest, App State (22-29, 12-16) lined into three double plays and went just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position on the night.

Trailing 3-0 with two outs in the seventh inning, Dillon Moquin popped a ball up on the infield and none of Georgia State’s defenders were able to get to it in time to make a play, allowing Riley Luft to score from third and Tyler Figueroa from second to make it a 3-1 game.

Moquin led the Mountaineers with three hits, while Luft and Tyler Lichtenberger also enjoyed two-hit efforts.

The Panthers answered with an insurance run in the top of the eighth and the Mountaineers were unable to draw any closer.

Georgia State starter Brian Crooms was outstanding, striking out a career-high nine batters in 6.2 innings to earn the win in his second start of the season. The visitors took the lead with two runs in the third inning and added one more in the fifth.

The App State bullpen was strong, allowing just two runs over 6.1 innings with Carter Boyd, Reyn Watson and Cody Little all registering scoreless outings.

The Mountaineers also made several standout defensive plays including a 1-6-4-3 double play on a ball that ricocheted off Boyd’s glove in the fifth inning, a 5-2 double play to nab a runner at the plate in the eighth and a sliding catch by Tyler Figueroa in center field to end the eighth inning.

App State will look to punch their ticket to the Sun Belt tournament with a win on Friday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. It’s youth day and all children age 12 and under will receive free admission.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. NEW ORLEANS, La. — App State senior Emma Russum was named the Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Newcomer of the Year and was one of 10 Mountaineers who earned all-conference accolades, the league announced Thursday.

Russum clinched the Sun Belt crown in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:36.27 and secured silver in the women’s 5,000 meters with a time of 16:53.59. She garnered First Team All-SBC honors for her efforts on the track. In the App State all-time list, Russum ranks second in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and women’s 10,000 meters, as well as fourth in the women’s 5,000 meters. Over the course of the season, Russum led the league in the women’s 5,000 meters (16:30.30, PR), women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:34.13, PR), and women’s 10,000 meters (34:41.91, PR). Russum also ranks among the NCAA Southeast Region’s top-25 in the women’s 10,000 meters and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase categories.

Ethan Lipham

Junior Ethan Lipham also collected First Team All-SBC honors in the Men’s Division and was one of the leagues’ top scorers at the SBC Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet. Individually, Lipham scored 20 points for the Mountaineers after clinching the titles for the men’s 1,500 meters and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Lipham defended his men’s 1,500-meter title from 2024, after stopping the clock at 3:50.83. He was four seconds shy of his personal best of 3:46.82, which he set at the Penn Relays (April 24). With a personal best of 8:58.49, Lipham clinched the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase crown. The Largo, Fla. native currently stands fourth in the App State all-time list in the men’s 1,500 meters and sixth all-time in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

And More Honors, Too

Sophomore Matthew Gray, freshman Lilly Nichols, and graduate student Ethan Turner earned Second Team All-SBC accolades for their performances. Gray broke the App State men’s pole vault record with a clearance of 5.38m (17′ 7.75″). The previous school record, which Gray shared with Patrick Freeman, was 5.35m (17′ 6.5″). In just two seasons with the Mountaineers, Gray has reset the program record on four occasions. Nichols also broke the App State women’s pole vault record with a clearance of 4.11m (13′ 5.75″) and now holds the program’s indoor and outdoor women’s pole vault records. The previous record was 4.04m (13′ 3″), which was set in 2024 by Ava Studney. In the men’s 10,000 meters, Turner stopped the clock at 30:07.94 to place second. Turner also moved to ninth in the program all-time list.

Freshman Thomas Wlazlowski had joined Lipham on the podium for his performance in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, where he finished third with a personal best of 9:03.65. Wlazlowski moved to 10th in the App State all-time list after the race. The men’s 4×100-meter quartet of freshman Brandon Parker, sophomore Armonté Ferguson, freshman Jonathan Wilson, and junior Ray Lee also earned Third Team All-SBC honors after stopping the clock at 40.01. The quartet was one second shy of the program record of 39.70, which was set at the 2012 NCAA Championships.

App State is set to host the Sunday Night Qualifier on May 18 at the Randy Marion Track & Field Facility in Boone, N.C.

The NCAA East Preliminary Round is slated for May 28-31 and will be hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+.

Special Awards

Women’s Track Performer of the Year: Abigail Parra, Texas State
Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Emma Russum, App State
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Charlize Goody, Texas State
Women’s Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
Women’s Elite Award: Lara Roberts, Texas State

Men’s Track Performer of the Year: Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
Men’s Field Performer of the Year: Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Drew Donley, Texas State
Men’s Freshman of the Year: Lawson Jacobs, Louisiana
Men’s Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
Men’s Elite Award: Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State

2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team

• Ethan Lipham, App State
• Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
• Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
• Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
• Menachem Chen, Arkansas State
• Noa Isaia, Arkansas State
• Mark Daley, Louisiana
• Jonathan Gamarra, Louisiana
• Chris Gravois, Louisiana
• Camren Hardy, Louisiana
• Jeremy Nelson, Louisiana
• Lawson Jacobs, Louisiana
• Joseph Patterson, Louisiana
• Caemon Scott, Louisiana
• Hunter Ullrich, Louisiana
• Reuben Booysen, South Alabama
• Kendal White, South Alabama
• Piers Cameron, Southern Miss
• Drew Donley, Texas State
• Aiden Hayes, Texas State
• Chris Preddie, Texas State
• Easton Hammond, Texas State
• Tydreke Thomas, Troy

2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team

• Matthew Gray, App State
• Ethan Turner, App State
• Brandon Williams, Arkansas State
• Terrique Webb, Coastal Carolina
• Samuel Mika, South Alabama
• Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
• Javel Fullerton, Southern Miss
• Conner Mozee, Southern Miss
• Kelsey Singleton, Southern Miss
• Connor Warzecha, Texas State
• Michael Hermes, Texas State
• Shedrack Akpeki, Texas State
• Daniel Harrold, Texas State
• Kason O’Riley, Texas State
• Altwayne Bedward, Troy
• Evan Brown, Troy
• Michael Eady, Troy
• Keylan Hicks, Troy
• Imani Coleman, ULM
• Matthew Malcolm, ULM
• Santana Richardson, ULM
• Stafon Roach, ULM
• J’Marcus Sewell, ULM

2025 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team

• Armonté Ferguson, App State
• Ray Lee, App State
• Brandon Parker, App State
• Jonathan Wilson, App State
• Thomas Wlazlowski, App State
• Kamil Przybyla, Arkansas State
• Trey Kraimer, Coastal Carolina
• Adam Groves, Coastal Carolina
• William Howard, Louisiana
• Federico Bovo, Louisiana
• Teodor Borgius, Louisiana
• Dallas Beck, South Alabama
• Javon Glen, South Alabama
• Bobby Gray, South Alabama
• Tre Hill, South Alabama
• Marlon Miller, South Alabama
• Jordan Morrison, South Alabama
• Zayne Palomino, Southern Miss
• De’Aundre Ward, Southern Miss
• Mihajlo Katanic, Texas State
• Daniel Strooh, Texas State
• Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo, ULM
• Devin Bilbo, ULM

2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team

• Emma Russum, App State
• Carly Pujol, Arkansas State
• Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
• Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina
• Shatalya Dorsett, Georgia Southern
• Emani George, Georgia Southern
• Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
• Devine Parker, Georgia Southern
• NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
• Kimola Hines, Louisiana
• Isabelle Russell, Louisiana
• Jaellene Burgess, Southern Miss
• Taliyah Lindsey, Southern Miss
• Addison McLaurin, Southern Miss
• Kennedi Sanders, Southern Miss
• Alana Simon, Southern Miss
• Abigail Parra, Texas State
• Melanie Duron, Texas State
• Lara Roberts, Texas State
• Charlize Goody, Texas State
• Savanna Lawson, ULM
• Katerina Natsiopoulou, ULM

2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team

• Lilly Nichols, App State
• Miranda Burgett, Arkansas State
• Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State
• Kennedy Hood, Georgia Southern
• Leonaya Knox, Georgia Southern
• Holly Mpassy, James Madison
• Amairi Ashford, Louisiana
• Alaysha Veal, Louisiana
• Destiny Berryman, Marshall
• Iyana Johnson, South Alabama
• Calli Stokes, South Alabama
• Joidon Boddie, Southern Miss
• Cadence Lapp, Southern Miss
• Tacherria Lawson, Southern Miss
• Valencia Watson, Southern Miss
• Jasmine Jimenez, Troy
• Aaliyah Murphy, Troy
• Kady Schwietz, Troy
• Haley Wilson, Troy

2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team

• Tyra Nabors, Arkansas State
• Amilia Wise-Sweat, Coastal Carolina
• Christine Fitzgerald, James Madison
• Esther Germain, James Madison
• Erica Moolman, James Madison
• Kadence Wilson, James Madison
• Lily Murray, Louisiana
• Quincy Simon, Louisiana
• Reem Tammam, Louisiana
• Jaala Thymes, Louisiana
• Chaniqua Tonge, Louisiana
• Shenell Tucker, Louisiana
• Hannah Wyler, Marshall
• Taylor Spencer, Marshall
• Charleen Elizondo, South Alabama
• Ava Wheaton, South Alabama
• Jelese Alexander, Southern Miss
• Sophia Haberer, Texas State
• Shanyah Washington, Troy
• Alice Hultberg, ULM

By David Rogers. HARRISONBURG, Va. (remote) — Winning only by a proverbial “nose” in the Men’s 1500 Meters, App State junior Ethan Lipham sprinted to the lead with under 200 meters to go on May 11, then held off a late charging Joseph Patterson, a Louisiana senior, to capture his second Sun Belt Conference championship in as many days while defending the 1500-Meter title he won a year ago as a sophomore.

In the 1500, Lipham (No. 1, 3:50.83) led a quartet of App State middle distance runners who qualified for the finals out of the preliminary heats. They included freshman Rowan Gwin (No. 5, 3:52.48), junior Steven Smith (No. 8, 3:55.84), and junior Rylan Haskett (No. 9, 3:56.09). Declared the No. 2 finisher, Patterson of Louisiana was credited with a time of 3:50.85, just two one-hundredths of a second behind Lipham.

With a surprise move a day earlier, Lipham (8:58.49) rallied in the final 200 meters of the 3,000-Meter Steeplechase to claim the Sun Belt Conference title, again leading a quartet of Mountaineers, this time all finishing among the top seven runners. The event’s defending champion, App State senior Calbert Guest (9:06.29) fell down three times during the race and still salvaged a No. 4 finish. Mountaineer freshman Thomas Wlazlowski (8:03.65) was at No. 3. South Alabama senior Sacha Perrier (8:59.51) snuck into the No. 2 spot, effectively disrupting the App State sweep. The Mountaineers’ Steven Smith completed the grueling steeplechase race in the No. 7 position (9:12.88).

Mountaineer senior Emma Russum captured the Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase title, finishing No. 1 (10:36.27) at the Sun Belt Conference Track & Field Championships. Russum completed the course 14 seconds ahead of No. 2 finisher Cadence Lapp (10:50.99) of Southern Miss. App State senior Regan Hodge was No. 9 (11:12.05).

Other App State Women’s Highlights

• App State sophomore Nicole Wells finished just off the podium at No. 4 (55.48) in the Women’s 400 Meters. No. 1 (53.86) in the event was Holly Mpassy of James Madison.
• Russum was just one second off becoming a double-winner, finishing No. 2 in the Women’s 5,000 Meters in 16:53.59. No. 1 went to Coastal Carolina’s Molly Jones (16:52.56, her season’s best).
• App State put two athletes in the Women’s Pole Vault’s top five, including No. 2, freshman Lilly Nichols (13-5.75, a personal best) and No. 5, junior Ava Studney (12-10). Arkansas State junior Carly Pujol recorded a personal best of 14-1.75 to capture the No. 1 spot.

Other App State Women’s Highlights:

• Parker Kinney (junior), No. 5 in the Men’s 400 Meters (47.17). The event was won by Louisiana freshman Lawson Jacobs (45.57).
• In the Men’s 5000-Meter race, Arkansas State senior Jacob Pyeatt was No. 1, setting a Sun Belt meet record at 13:50.83, but App State had a good showing with No. 4 senior Calbert Guest (14:27.33), No. 5 freshman Henry Stark (14:28.82), and No. 6 freshman Thomas Wlazlowski (14:29.50). Also in the mix were junior Ethan Turner (No. 10, 14:39.56), No. 13 senior Oliver Wilson-Cook (14:45.70) and No. 15 junior Chase Burrell (14:52.24), out of the 45 athletes competing in the race.
• App State also fared well at the 10,000-Meters’ distance, with four runners in the top seven out of 19 athletes competing. Arkansas State senior Jacob Pyeatt (29:54.18) matched Lipham’s double-win by adding the 10,000-Meters title to his weekend performance. Mountaineer top finishers included No. 2 Ethan Turner (30:07.94), No. 4 Chase Burrell (30:25.19), No. 5 Memphis Rich (30:27.98) and No. 7 Oliver Wilson-Cook (30:32.77).
• App State was No. 3 in the 4×100 Meter Relay (40.01), behind No. 1 Louisiana (39.55) and No. 2 Troy (39.79), in one of the tightest finishes of the day among the relays.
• App State sophomore Matthew Gray was No. 2 in the Pole Vault (17-7.75), behind No. 1 Bradley Jelmert of Arkansas State (17-11.75).
• Recording a personal best, App State freshman Chris Stewart finished the Shot Put at No. 5 (56-4.75). The No. 1 performance was by Southern Miss junior Piers Cameron, with a personal best of 63-9.75.

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES

1. Texas State – 119
2. Louisiana – 108
3. Southern Miss – 97
4. Georgia Southern – 91
5. Arkansas State – 69
6. South Alabama – 68
7. Coastal Carolina – 63
8. App State – 50
9. Troy – 43
10. Marshall – 36
11. ULM – 30
12. James Madison – 30
13. Georgia State – 15

MEN’S TEAM SCORES

1. Texas State – 145
2. Arkansas State – 126
3. Louisiana – 114
4. South Alabama – 108
5. App State – 97
6. Southern Miss – 72
7. ULM – 67
8. Troy – 40
9. Coastal Carolina – 36
10. Marshall – 9

By David Rogers. MOBILE, Ala. (remote) — Just one day after suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of South Alabama, App State stormed back with a vengeance on May 11 to win the final game of the 3-game weekend series, 12-2.

The Jaguars and the Mountaineers matched each other’s offensive production in the first inning, completing the frame at 2-2, but those were the only runs allowed by App State pitchers (and defense in the field) for the rest of the contest.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers added two more in the second inning, exploded for five runs in the fourth frame and just for good measure brought three more runs home in innings No. 8 and No. 9.

Hitting from the No. 9 spot in the Mountaineers’ batting order, left fielder Riley Luft led off the top half of the big fourth inning with a double down the left field line, into the corner. The Jaguars pitcher, Zach Willingham, retired the next two batters, Tanner McCammon on grounder to third and striking out Tyler Lichtenberger, but issued 2-out walks to 2B Joseph Zamora and DH Kameron Miller to load the bases.

That set the stage for one of App State’s power hitters and Juan Correa delivered. With the bases loaded, Willingham was forced to hurl strikes at the Mountaineer first baseman or have a run forced home with a walk. It was as if Correa, the senior transfer from Charlotte was salivating at the prospect of getting pitches he could hit. He got the meat of his bat on the very first pitch, pounding it out of the park over the left centerfield fence for a grand slam home run.

That earned Willingham a ticket to the showers and the Jaguars brought Tyler Smith to the mound — but App State wasn’t quite done in the inning. Catcher Braxton Church promptly doubled down the left field line, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shortstop Tyler Figueroa worked the count to 2-2 before slapping an RBI single to left center, scoring Church for App State’s final run of the inning.

In the first inning, McCammon opened the game with a leadoff double, but was thrown out at home trying to score on Lichtenberger’s follow-up single to center. Undeterred, the Mountaineers loaded the bases a first time for Correa, who ripped a single to left, scoring Zamora and Lichtenberger ahead of him for his initial RBIs for the day.

Those two RBIs, combined with the grand slam HR (4 RBIs) and another, 2-run home run in the top of the 8th inning, gave Correa 8 RBIs for the afternoon, the most for any Mountaineer since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. It was also the Weston, Fla. native’s fourth, multi-homer game of the 2025 season.

Three Mountaineer pitchers combined to hold the Jaguars scoreless over the final eight and two-thirds innings, giving up just four hits while backed by a stellar defensive effort in the field. Out of 35 batters faced by the trio, they forced 10 ground outs, including two double plays. Cal Clark, a 6-4, 223 lb. righthander, did yeoman’s work in pitching the middle four innings. He was highly efficient, with 30 of his 54 pitches going for strikes.

App State returns to the friendly confines of Smith Field on Thursday, May 15, for its final 3-game series of the regular season, vs. Georgia State. First pitch on May 15 and 16 is scheduled for 6 p.m, and 1 p.m. for the final home game on Saturday.

Georgia State brings an overall record of 24-29, 9-18 in Sun Belt play. App State is now 22-28 overall, 12-15 in the Sun Belt — and currently clinging to the No. 10 spot in the SBC standings. Only the top 10 earn trips to Montgomery, Ala., May 20-25, to play in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament at Riverwalk Stadium.

KEY PERFORMERS

• APP – Juan Correa: 3-4, 2 runs scored, 8 RBIs, 2 HRs, walk
• APP – Joseph Zamora: 3-5, 3 runs scored
• APP – Kameron Miller: 1-4, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, walk
• APP – Tyler Lichtenberger: 1-5, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, walk
• APP – Tyler Figueroa: 1-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI