10 C-N track athletes placed on the Southeast Regional team

Tanner Stepp
Tanner Stepp

NEW ORLEANS— The Carson-Newman indoor track and field team was well represented on the Southeast All-Region ballot as 10 Eagle athletes took home honors from 13 different events when the U.S. Track & Field and Cross County Coaches Association released the selections Monday afternoon.

"I the think the honors show our consistency as a team. Not only were we good, but we were good week in and week out," coach David Needs said following the releasing. "Sometimes region standings do not reflect that and reflect individual moments, but with our kids, one of the things I am the most proud about is not just the numbers, but the number of kids that did it week in and week out. It shows that they worked hard and continued to get better throughout the season."

Senior Randall Freeman (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and juniors Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.) and Tiana Mills (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led the way for Carson-Newman by making the All-Region team in two events apiece.

Freeman's region-leading 15.12m in the men's shot put the senior marked at the Tiffin Dragon Invite on Feb 13 paved the way for the thrower in the shot put event. The two-time Academic All-American also made the cut in the men's heptathlon after accumulating 4636 total points at the Buccaneer Invitational in early February.

Snead, who is C-N's first automatic indoor national's qualifier in program history, wound up being a selection for a pair of sprints in the men's 60m and 200m dash. Currently the fourth fastest man in Division II, Snead's best time in the 60m came at the UCS Invitational on Feb. 20 after a 6.73 second time. Snead's 200m dash best came a week earlier at the Tiffin Dragon Invite after posting a 21.72 second-pace.   

Carson-Newman's only woman two-event recipient who made the way onto the All-Southeast Region team was Mills in the long and triple jump. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native's season-best in the triple jump came at the Buccaneer Invitational on Feb. 5 while posting an 11.86m mark. Mills's high-mark in the long jump this season came earlier in the year at the David E. Walker Kickoff Classic with a jump of 5.50m.

"I think that it shows that they are great athletes by being great runners, jumpers, throwers and etc.," Needs said. "Randall is the ultimate case here as he made the list in the hepthalon. Not only did a lot of our kids make the All-Region team, but several of them were Region champs in their events and that's even better because it not only shows that they were good, but that they were at the top."

Other representatives from the women's side include Tori Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) and Samantha Gudger (Bristol, Tenn.).

Gaul currently rank's in Division II's top-10 for the women's pole vault as the sophomore's best performance of the season came at the UCS Invitational where she extended her school-record to 3.90m. Gudger, also only a sophomore, posted her season-best in the first meet of the season at the Appalachian Open with a 1.64m mark in the women's high jump.

Four more Carson-Newman men were announced as All-Southeast Region selections in both the long and high jump.

T.J. Davis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Timontrez Eady (Duval County, Fla.) were selected as two of the region's best long jumpers. Davis extended his school-record en route to a season-best jump of 7.21m at the East Tennessee State University Track & Field Invitational on Jan. 15. Eady capped his season high-mark in the freshman's first collegiate meet of his career at the Appalachian Open on Dec. 4 after posting a 7.15m mark.

Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and Christian Stumpf (Johnson City, Tenn.) were named as All-Region high jumpers following solid performances throughout the season. Stepp, who ranks in the top-five for Division II, posted a season-best of 2.14m at the Camel City Invitational on Jan. 29. Stumpf jumped 2.03m earlier in January at the ETSU Track & Field Invitational to record the freshman's best performance of the season.

Marshall Shank (Granite Quarry, N.C.) is the final C-N athlete to receive a Southeast Regional honor. The freshman posted a career-best of 4.55m in the men's pole vault at the Camel City Invitational on Jan. 29 and narrowly missed out on a provisionally qualification in the event.

Shank was one of three freshmen to make the postseason squad.

"I think it shows that we have been recruiting well in having three freshman being named All-Region selections," Needs said. "They were not intimidated by the new surroundings. They were quick adjusters and you hope in Like Tanner's [Stepp] case, they use this as a spring forward for even more success in their career as they go through."

The Eagles also sported five individual Southeast Region event champions with Freeman in the men's shot put and hapthalon, Stepp in the men's high jump, Snead in the men's 60m dash and Gaul in the women's pole vault.

All in all, 10 Carson-Newman athletes were All-Southeast Region selections in 13 events to help the program reach national significance in what was statistically the best indoor track and field season in school history.

The All-Region selections will now wait and see if their names will be called to compete in the indoor nationals on March 11-12 when the selections are revealed later this week.

 

Carson-Newman Athletes: All-Southeast Region Selectees

Name

Event

Season-Best

T.J. Davis

Long Jump

7.21 meters

Timontrez Eady

Long Jump

7.15 meters

Randall Freeman

Shot Put

15.12 meters

Randall Freeman

Heptathlon

4636 points

Marshall Shank

Pole Vault

4.55 meters

Kevin Snead

60m Dash

6.73 seconds

Kevin Snead

200m Dash

21.72 seconds

Tanner Stepp

High Jump

2.14 meters

Christian Stumpf

High Jump

2.03 meters

Tori Gaul

Pole Vault

3.90 meters

Samantha Gudger

High Jump

1.64 meters

Tiana Mills

Long Jump

5.50 meters

Tiana Mills

Triple Jump

11.86 meters

 

-CN-