UNC track and field set 14 personal records, take two titles at ACC Indoor Championship

The North Carolina track and field team competed in the ACC Indoor Championships where the men placed fifth and the women 12th. The Tar Heels set 14 personal records, had four school-record-setting performances and took home two ACC titles. 

What happened?

On Thursday, redshirt junior Madias Loper set a new personal record in the men’s weight throw with a throw of 18.52 meters for seventh place.

North Carolina set 10 indoor personal records on Friday, four of which went into the history books. In the men’s 60-meter prelims, sophomore Qhiyal Towns had a personal best of 6.67, setting the UNC record as he placed fifth. In the same event, junior Dontavian Smith placed eighth with a time of 6.73, the third-fastest time in UNC history. 

In the women’s 60-meter dash prelims, junior Anna Keefer ran the second-fastest time in UNC history with 7:35, a personal record, and placed sixth. In the same women’s 60-meter, sophomore Lauryn Hall placed 12th with a time of 7.43, which set a personal record, and was the fourth-fastest time run in UNC history. Smith set a personal record in the men’s 200-meter prelims with a time of 21.39 as he finished seventh.

In the men’s 400-meter dash prelims, three Tar Heels set personal bests on Friday. Junior Isaiah Palmer placed fourth with a personal-best time of 46.90. Senior Brandon Cachon placed ninth with a time of 47.61, a personal best and junior Ryan Saint-Germain placed 12th with a personal best time of 47.76. Senior Mitch Resor placed 17 in the men’s mile prelims with 4:10.36, a personal best. In the women’s mile run prelims, senior Erin Edmundson placed eighth with 4:46.66, a new personal record.

The Tar Heels set four personal bests on Saturday. Palmer set another personal record with a time of 46.58 as he finished third in the men’s 400-meter final. Edmundson ran another personal best as her time of 4:46.10 nabbed her eighth place in the women’s mile final. Senior Brianna Isles placed fifth with a jump of 12.44 meters, a personal best. Senior Zay Paschall set a personal record in the men’s triple jump with a 15.75-meter jump and finished third.

UNC also clinched two ACC Titles, when Daniel McArthur defended his ACC title in men's shot put with a throw of 19.86 metes. The men's 4x400 meter relay team, composed of Cachon, Saint-Germain, Ari Cogdell and Palmer, won with a time of 3:06.66, a season best. 

Who stood out?

Over the three-day championship meet, North Carolina set 14 personal records, claimed two ACC titles in shot put and men's 4x400 relay, set four school records and earned 10 All-ACC honors as well.

When was it decided?

At the conclusion of Friday’s events, both the men’s and women’s teams sat in 10th place. However, the women dipped and finished 12th out of 17th on Saturday. The men moved up significantly and finished fifth overall.

Why does it matter?

Head coach Chris Miltenberg said these results are indicative of the team’s future and a sign of how their confidence has grown.

“What we talk about all year is, ‘Hey we do what we do,’ first meet of the year no matter who we’re running against through the ACC Championships, NCAA Championships and everywhere in between,” Miltenberg said. “So, what you see with our people, men and women, is they’ve been getting better every week and they’ve been really focused on attitude, effort and execution— let’s bring that every week, let’s do what we do.”

When do they play next?

North Carolina heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the NCAA Indoor Championships beginning March 13 and concluding the following day.

@A_ReynoldsDTH

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com