BLACKSBURG, Va. --- Megan Melton (Riverside, Calif.) equaled her personal record in the pole vault, Jordan Smith (Chesterfield, Va.) earned Big South All-Conference Third team honors in the weight throw and Titus Hamilton (Blair, Neb.) set four personal bests en route in the heptathlon on the first day of the Big South Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday.

After the first day of events, Gardner-Webb sits fourth in the men's standings with 18 points, while the women are sixth with 18.5.

Hamilton established new milestone marks in four of the five events, equaling his previous best of 7.36 seconds in the 60-meter dash and setting new PRs in the long jump (5.86 meters), shot put (12.49 meters) and the high jump (1.67 meters) to finish sixth in the competition – just 243 points behind the winner.

Merideth Byl (Tucson, Ariz.) and Ashleigh Cleveland (Raleigh, N.C.) both performed well in the women's event – finishing fifth and seventh – as they each set a new PR in the 60-meter hurdles with marks of 9.55 and 9.48 seconds, respectively. Cleveland also established new personal-bests in the high jump (1.56 meters) and the shot put (8.96 meters) in addition to a new top mark in the long jump (5.29 meters).

Byl won the shot put with a toss of 11.69 meters, as they both set PRs in the 800-meter run with marks of 2:26.27 and 2:39.72, respectively.

Josh Wembolua (Matthews, N.C.) qualified for the 60-meter hurdle finals with a mark of 8.47 seconds, while Jalin Lawson (Fort Gaines, Ga.) and Quenton Jones (Moore, S.C.) each scored in the long jump – with Jones setting a new PR of 6.85 meters.

Melton equaled her PR of 3.60 meters en route to a tie for fourth in the pole vault, as Sarah Mitchell (Roswell, Ga.) placed fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 17.28 meters. Natasha Akbarizadeh (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) also scored in the weight throw with a new PR of 16.19 meters.

Smith and Marcus Abraham (Charlotte, N.C.) placed third and seventh, respectively, in the weight throw with marks of 17.98 and 15.08 meters, as Abraham set a new PR in the event.

Gardner-Webb will return to action with the final day of the Big South Indoor Championships on Saturday.