High Point Men’s Track and Field Team Five Peats as Big South Champions

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – For the fifth straight time, the High Point University Men’s Track and Field team was crowned the 2025 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Champions. The Panthers totaled 304 points after landing on the podium with 12 gold medals.

“We talk about our goal being to pursue excellence, not perfection,” Head Coach Mike Esposito stated. “For people who know track and field, there was some excellence out there for three days, so not perfection, but oh boy, they were excellent. I have the best staff in America; It’s not even close. We are very blessed at High Point with resources, but we have the best staff. We have the best work ethic in kids, and we’ve got a role in and it’s a tribute to my staff, so the preparation didn’t start this week. We are looking beyond this week and to North Florida here in two weeks to get some kids to Eugene for NCAA Nationals. We want to be a top 25 team in the country. It will and can happen at some point.”

 

The first two days of the Big South Championships held the decathlon, a mix of field event finals and the running event preliminaries. On Wednesday, the running event finals were completed along with another mix of field events. Following the three-day event, the Championship ceremony took place honoring various athletes of the year with the presentation of awards.

 

On day one, the first individual title of the meet was given to Justin Sluijter in the men’s long jump. He jumped 7.69m in the sand to earn first-place.

 

The men’s pole vault team swept the podium as Ricardo Montes de Oca was named the champion clearing 4.91m. Jackson Toumey placed second clearing 4.46m and Jason Olivera Jr. placed third clearing 4.01m.

 

In the throwing events, Alex Hoffman placed second in the men’s hammer throw after throwing 57.77m.

 

Rounding out the first day, Hunter Steinau put on a show in the men’s 10,000m race. He was crowned the champion after clocking a 30:33.78 time earning his first collegiate Big South title.

 

On day two, High Point had two athletes compete in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. Aiden Morrison made the podium placing third with a 9:21.80 time. Evan J. Mills crossed the finish line two places behind Morrison with a 9:36.61 time for fifth place.

 

The Panthers had four athletes to compete in the decathlon across the two days including Cole Wilson, Evan Mills, David Caivano and William Reeves. Three Panthers swept the podium as Wilson was crowned the champion with a program record, 7,609 points, followed by Mills with 6,750 points and Caivano with 6,268 points. Reeves placed fourth with 5,508 points. Wilson recorded personal bests in the 110m hurdles (14.78), 1500m (4:35.59) and the 400m (49.58).

“The decathlon is very similar to a track meet all in one event,” Esposito added. “Because of the ups and downs of it, you are not going to have a perfect meet, just like you aren’t going to have a perfect dec. He mixed in PRs with some disappointing performances, but to his credit, he really rallied back at the end of both days in the 400m and 1500s to put him in a position to go to Eugene. When he focuses on excellence like he did and not perfection, he’s pretty darn good.”

 

In the men’s javelin, Drew Noblet placed second for a spot on the podium after launching the javelin a personal best 62.83m. In the men’s shot put, Caleb Barley placed fourth with a 16.21m throw and Hoffman placed fifth with a 15.91m throw.

 

In the jumps, Mobu Nwakor took home second place in the men’s triple jump with a season best 14.52m.

 

Kicking off the final day on Wednesday, the men’s 4x100m relay team secured first-place down the home stretch with a new program record 39.71 time. Following up the opening race, Graham Ferguson won the men’s 1500m race with a 3:49.74 time. Jason Thomson joined Ferguson on the podium in second place with a 3:50.41 time.

 

Antonio Votour jumped out to a lead in the men’s 110m hurdles and crossed the finish line in first place with a 14.97 time.

 

In the men’s 400m race, HPU swept the podium all recording new personal best times. Tim Brown took gold with a 46.45 time for new program record, Marquis Belle took silver with a 47.08 time and Myles Darroch took bronze with a 47.32 time.

 

In the men’s 100m dash, Keshon Sapp made the podium crossing the finish line in second place with a 10.30 time.

 

Camerin Williams made a statement in the men’s 800m with a new program and meet record clocking an impressive 1:47.37 time. Both Ferguson and Thomson joined Williams on the podium in second and third respectively with new personal best times. Ferguson recorded a 1:50.09 time and Thomson recorded a 1:51.25 time. Jake Weakland placed fourth with a personal best 1:51.73 time.

 

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Allon Sweeney placed second with a new personal best 52.97 time.

 

Steinau took home his second Big South title of the week in the men’s 5,000m race after registering a 14:29.77 time, beating UNC Asheville’s Paul Kiprotich by tenths of a second as they crossed the finish line. Gavin Stevens recorded a new personal best with a 14:33.43 time for fourth place.

 

Closing out the track events, the men’s 4x400m took home first place with a dominant 3:07.58 time. The group consisted of Marquis Belle, Camerin Williams, Myles Darroch and Tim Brown.

 

In the final events on the final day, Hoffman placed fourth in the men’s discus with a 47.52m throw. High Point had two Panthers make the podium in the men’s high jump. Alex Constantinou took first with a 2.09m mark and Shaun Thomas took second with a 2.07m mark after having a jump off in the finals. John Connors placed fourth with a 1.97m clear.

Following the meet, the Big South announced the athlete of the year awards. Below is the list of High Point student-athlete honorees.

Men’s Outstanding Performance

Cole Wilson, High Point (based on event performance by TFFRs of 7,609 points in the decathlon)

 

Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year

High Point

Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year

Graham Ferguson, High Point (3.93 GPA, Accounting & Finance)

UP NEXT:

This concludes the 2025 High Point track and field outdoor regular season. Athletes who qualified for the NCAA First Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida will prepare for the postseason.

 

#GoHPU x #DefendTheTeam