Freshman Lapatrick Bridges became the second Mary Baldwin men's competitor in the seven-year history over MBU men's track & field to win a gold medal at the USA South championship Saturday at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord, N.C.

Bridges (50.28) and classmate Averi Harrod (50.55) both earned medals, finishing first and third respectively, in the 400-meter dash to lead the Fighting Squirrels to fifth place in the men's team standings (21 points).  Harrod also crossed the finish line sixth in the 200-meter dash (23.25), then finished the day with Bridges, Brendan Plogger and Tristan Bannasch to claim fourth-place points in the 4x400 relay.

Bridges, who was named the USA South Men's Track Rookie of the Year, joins sprinter/jumper Christopher Kirksey as the only Fighting Squirrels men's team members on the top of the medal podium at the outdoor conference championships.  Kirksey won the 200-meter dash in 2022, then topped the conference in the long jump in 2023.

Other top 10 performances were recorded by Caleb Smith in the 10,000 (9th, 4:25.37), Omarion Lacroix in the shot put (8th, 11.44m) and David Schultz in the javelin (10th, 36.33m).

On the women's side, freshman sensation Nicole Black picked up two medals Saturday, finishing second in the 1,500-meter run (5:07.85) and third in the 5,000-meter run (20:14.20).  Black added those medals to the four awards she won at the 2024 USA South Cross Country championship in October, which included the Conference MVP.

Senior Lamiyah Martinez just missed a trip to the medal stand, finishing fourth overall Friday in the hammer throw (36.12m).  Martinez, who also finished seventh in the discus, paired with Black to score MBU's 18 points to finish seventh in the women's final standings.  Other seventh place finishes were registered by Ashley Bennett in the 800 (2:39.08), Alma Gonzalez-Hayes in the javelin (23.35m) and the 4x400 relay team of Bennett, Black, Anna Bruce and Alecia Oliver (4:48.94).


April 25-26, 2025 – USA South Athletic Conference Championships
at Jay M. Robinson High School, Concord, NC
MEN
Team Scores:  1. Pfeiffer 197; 2. Southern Virginia 166; 3. Methodist 126; 4. Brevard 92; 5. Mary Baldwin 21; 6. N.C. Wesleyan 8  (Event Scoring – top six: 10-8-6-4-2-1)
200 – 1. Shevaun Daley, Pfe, 21.93; 6. Averi Harrod, MBU, 23.25; 11. Lapatrick Bridges 23:35
400 – 1. Lapatrick Bridges, MBU, 50.28; 3. Averi Harrod, MBU, 50.55
800 – 1. Joseph Hughes, SVU, 1:56.64; 14. Brendan Plogger, MBU, 2:16.12
1,500 – 1. Dylan May, SVU, 3:57.66; 9. Caleb Smith, MBU, 4:25.37; 11. Daniel Diaczyszyn, MBU, 5:09.35; 12. David Schultz, MBU, 5:09.55
5,000 – 1. Dylan May, SVU, 15:33.99; 12. Caleb Smith, MBU, 19:52.39
10,000 – 1. Dylan May, SVU, 33:08.21; 13. David Schultz, MBU, 39:23.79 (PR)
4x400 relay – 1. Pfeiffer 3 :25.54 ; 4. Mary Baldwin (Averi Harrod, Lapatrick Bridges, Brendan Plogger, Tristan Bannasch) 3:39.93
Shot put – 1. Noah Westbrook, NCW, 14.88m; 8. Omarion Lacroix, MBU, 11.44m; 12. Brandon Jones, MBU, 10.74m 
Discus – 1. Antonio King, Bre., 43.55m; 16. Brandon Jones, MBU, 30.30m
Javelin – 1. Nolan Opp, SVU, 56.23m; 10. David Schultz, MBU, 36.33m ; 11. Tristan Bannasch, MBU, 36.08m; 13. Omarion Lacroix, MBU, 35.47m; 15. Brandon Jones, MBU, 34.42m
 
WOMEN
Team Scores:  1. Southern Virginia 223; 2. N.C. Wesleyan 92; 3. Pfeiffer 85; 4. Methodist 83; 5. Meredith 60; 6. Brevard 42; 7. Mary Baldwin 18  (Event Scoring – top six: 10-8-6-4-2-1)
100 – 1. Kamiyah Wooten, NCW, 12.10; 16. Alecia Oliver, MBU, 15.44
200 -  1. Kamiyah Wooten, NCW, 25.14; 13. Ashley Bennett, MBU, 29.29; 16. Anna Bruce, MBU, 30.47; 17. Alecia Oliver, MBU, 34.70
800 – 1. Heidi Barton, SVU, 2:15.26; 7. Ashley Bennett, MBU, 2 :39.08
1,500 – 1. Heidi Barton, SVU, 4:47.43; 2. Nicole Black, MBU, 5 :07.85 ; DNF (injury) Caroline Motley, MBU
5,000 – 1. Bayleigh Redd, SVU, 19:20.27; 3. Nicole Black, MBU, 20:14.20
4x400 relay – 1. N.C. Wesleyan 4:07.90; 7. Mary Baldwin (Ashley Bennett, Nicole Black, Anna Bruce, Alecia Oliver) 4:48.94
Shot put – 1. Surraiya Mahmud, SVU, 11.15m; 16. Alma Gonzalez-Hayes, MBU, 7.13m
Discus – 1. Hazel Allen, SVU, 33.21m; 7. Lamiyah Martinez, MBU, 28.02m
Javelin – 1. Jilane Pedersen, SVU, 36.31m; 7. Alma Gonzalez-Hayes, MBU, 23.35m; 11. Lamiyah Martinez, MBU, 19.89m
Hammer – 1. Katrina Gardner, SVU, 43.49m; 4. Lamiyah Martinez, MBU, 36.12m