Daniel McArthur wins ACC Indoor title in shot put, UNC finishes near bottom as team

The North Carolina track and field competed in the ACC Indoor Championships this weekend. Out of 15 ACC teams, the women finished 10th and the men 12th overall. 

Daniel McArthur won an ACC Championship in men's shot put, and North Carolina earned All-ACC honors in six events.

What happened?

On Saturday, McArthur highlighted the weekend for UNC, taking home an ACC title in the men's shot put. He crushed the field, winning the event with a 19.60-meter hurl. The throw was nearly 4.5 feet longer than the nearest competitor's.

Though as a team North Carolina didn't perform well, several individual performances provided highlights.

On Friday, sophomore Anna Keefer made the All-ACC team in the women’s long jump with a new personal record of 6.26 meters that was good enough for second. In the women’s pole vault, senior Anna Eaton finished sixth with a distance of 4.18 meters. That earned her All-ACC honors, and set a new personal best. 

Senior Morgan Ilse won the women’s one-mile preliminary run, and qualified for the final on Saturday, where she finished second and earned All-ACC honors.

Other All-ACC qualifiers include Peighton Simmons, Liam Dixon and the men's 4x400 relay team. Simmons posted a lifetime best in the women's triple jump, landing on the All-ACC second team, while Dixon qualified in the pole vault. The men's 4x400 team of Brandon Cachon, Ryan Saint-Germain, Jadon Johnson and Isaiah Palmer finished third in the event.

Who stood out?

Daniel McArthur was the big story for North Carolina. His dominant shot put performance brought UNC its only individual ACC title of the weekend. With the win, he will travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA Indoor Championships, Mar. 8-9. McArthur was joined on the All-ACC first team by Anna Keefer and Anna Eaton. 

When was it decided?

After the first two days of the event, UNC was already falling in the team standings. At the end of the event on Saturday evening, both teams had settled into their final positions at 10th and 12th. The women finished with 29 points, 62 behind Miami, who won the event. The men posted 23 points, even farther behind winners Virginia Tech and Florida State, who each had 117.

Why does it matter?

The event was the last of the indoor season for most of the North Carolina track and field team. UNC will now move on to the outdoor season. Five athletes made All-ACC in individual events, and the men’s 4x400 relay also made All-ACC. 

Dontavian Smith ran a 6.79 in the 60-meter dash, a time that bumped him into a tie for second all-time in UNC history.

Where do they play next?

While McArthur will head to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the rest of the team will prepare for the outdoor season, which begins Mar. 15 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. 

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