NEW ORLEANS—The Carson-Newman indoor track and field team bolstered eight athletes who appeared on the 2017 Southeast Regional Indoor team when the United Stated Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the sections Monday morning.

All but two of the Eagles who appeared on the list have received the honor at least once in years prior. Kristopher Potts-Howard (Tullahoma, Tenn.) and Ray Artybidge (Iva, S.C.) tallied their first career selection with the honor coming in the triple and long jump.

The duo join the likes of T.J. Davis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) in the long jump, Tiana Mills (Chattanooga, Tenn.) in both the long and triple jumps, Marshall Shank (Granite Quarry, N.C.) in the pole vault and both Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and Christian Stumpf (Johnson City, Tenn.) in the men's high jump.

Carson-Newman's lone track athlete who made an appearance on the Southeast Region team was Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.) in the men's 60 meter dash.

For one of the Eagles' newest selection of Potts-Howard, the sophomore recorded his season-best mark of 14.35 meters in the triple jump at the Buccaneer Invitational on Feb 2. The mark was good enough for fifth-place in the event while substantially besting his previous career-high of 13.87 meters the year prior.

Arybidge, another first-year honoree, took home the award in the long jump. The reigning South Atlantic Conference outdoor long jump champion recorded a season-best mark of 7.18 meters in a fifth-place showing at the Buccaneer Invitational.

Making his fourth appearance on the Southeast Region team is the senior long jumper Davis. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native has tallied three-consecutive honors for the winter campaign and did so this season after leaping a career second-best of 7.24 meters in the long jump at the East Tennessee State University Track & Field Invitational on Jan. 27.

Following Davis, the region announced a pair of Eagle high jumpers who made the cut in Stepp and Stumpf. The two provisionally qualifiers for the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships tallied four jumps of 2.05 meters or better on the season while Stepp tapped out at 2.11 meters and Stumpf at 2.07 meters.

The honor for Stepp was the fifth of his career and the second for Stumpf.

For the second year in-a-row, Shank claims a spot on the indoor All-Region team following a season-best 4.40 meters in the men's pole vault at the Buccaneer Invitational. The sophomore spent the majority of the season injured but still managed to compete in four meets to pick up a provisional qualification.

Snead, who picked up Southeast Track Athlete of the Year honors following the 2016 outdoor season, tallies his second indoor honor of his career. The senior recorded a career second-best time of 6.75 seconds in the men's 60 meter dash at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational on Feb. 17, as the sprinter is second in the region in the event, trailing Limestone's Marquett Simmons Jr. who sits right in front of Snead at fourth-fastest in the nation.

Carson-Newman's lone female to make an appearance on the Southeast Regional squad was Mills who accomplished the feat in two different events. The senior, who is a provisional qualifier in both events, tallied a season-best leap of 12.03 meters in the triple jump and 5.70 meters in the long jump.

Going into the George Mason Last Chance Meet on Sunday, Feb. 27, the senior was in the latter half of the top-50 ranked triple jumps in the nation, but following the season-best mark, Mills has now jumped into the top-20 in the nation.  

The announcement regarding the field that will compete in the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be released in the coming days as C-N will have two athletes in for sure with the chance for a couple of more.  

Both Snead (60 meters) and Stepp (high jump) are set to make repeat appearances on the national stage as the duo sit in the nation's top-10 in their respected events. Others who are sitting right on the cusps of the 16-athlete cutoff are Mills in the triple jump (18^th), Davis in the long jump (24^th) and Stumpf in the high jump (20^th).  

Stay tuned into cneagles.com in the coming days for information regarding the regional rankings and the national qualifying list as the 2017 indoor season draws to a close. 

Carson-Newman All-Southeast Region

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