High Point, N.C.  – The Gardner-Webb Track & Field squad finished its first season under head coach Greg Thiel by turning in an impressive performance at the 2024 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championship held at Dick Vert Stadium on the campus of High Point University.

Gardner-Webb came away with one conference champion as well as 27 Top 5 finishes.

Among the highlights for the Runnin' Bulldogs was the performance of freshman Nathan Cremin, who captured the conference championship in the Men's 800 Meters with a personal-best time of 1:51.54.

Sophomore Quentin Peterson turned in three Top 5 performances as he took second place in the Men's Hammer Throw, Men's Discus Throw and Men's Shot Put.

In the Men's Hammer Throw, Peterson's (57.86m 189-10) finished behind Keyandre Davis of USC Upstate (58.28m 191-2).

Peterson (50.40m 165-4) followed Chris Van Niekerk of High Point (53.96m 177-0) in the Men's Discuss Throw and in the Men's Shot Put his personal best throw of 17.86m 58-71⁄4 trailed only Van Niekerk, who turned in a Big South Record 18.77m 61-7.

Peterson was named the Conference's Men's Most Valuable Athlete based on the highest accumulated point total of 24 points. 

Junior Jacoby Jacobson (15.60m 51-21⁄4) took third place for the Dawgs in the Men's Shot Put and placed third (48.58m 159-4) in the Discuss Throw.

In the Men's 400 Meter Hurdles sophomore TJ Peebles (52.96) captured a second-place medal for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

Peebles also placed fourth (14.59) in the 110 Meter Hurdles. 

On the lady's side for Gardner-Webb, the Runnin' Bulldogs tied UNC Asheville for fourth place in the team standings with 78 points.

Junior Deborah Marlow (12.05) started off a string of impressive Top 5 performances for the Lady Runnin' Bulldogs with a fourth-place overall finish in the Women's 100 Meters. In the preliminaries, Marlow turned in a school-record time of 11.93.

In the Women's 200 Meters, freshman Anna Spencer finished in fourth place for the Dawgs with a personal-best 24.31.

Junior Alena Ivanov (56.93) also turned in a personal-best time to finish fourth in the Women's 400 Meters.

Both Runnin' Bulldogs women's relay teams continued their strong spring performances as the Women's 4x100 Meter Relay team of Marlow, freshman Teandra Clemons, sophomore Jada Pittman and Spencer finished second with a school record time of 46.48.

The Women 4x400 Meter Relay finished fifth for the Dawgs as the team of junior Alena Ivanov, Marlow, Spencer, and junior Teryn Bour posted a combined time of 3:51.12.

In the field events, Clemons set a school-record in the Women's Triple Jump with a 12.03m 39-53⁄4. She also had two personal-best performances for the Dawgs as she finished fifth in the Women's High Jump (1.60m 5-3) and fourth in the Women's Long Jump (5.67m 18-71⁄4).

Pittman also had a Top 5 finish in the Women's Long Jump with a 5.56m 18-3. 

Graduate senior Karmen Taylor (46.89m 153-10) had a personal-best in the Women's Discus Throw to finish in fourth place.

In the Women's Hammer Throw, sophomore Madison Boyd (54.22m 177-11) placed third with her personal-best showing.

Freshman Isa VanSintemaartensdijk (42.28m 138-8) also placed third in the Women's Javelin for Gardner-Webb with her personal-best.

In the Women's Heptathlon, VanSintemaartensdijk set a school-record in the 100 Meter Hurdles with a time of 15.15 822 which was good for sixth place.

VanSintemaartensdijk placed third in both the Heptathlon High Jump (1.50m 4-11) and Heptathlon Shot Put (10.49m 34-5).

The Heptathlon 200 Meters saw VanSintemaartensdijk finish fourth with a personal-best of 26.46 757.  

The Gardner-Webb freshman was third in the Heptathlon Long Jump (5.20m 17-3⁄4), second in the Heptathlon Javelin Throw (39.48m 129-6) and sixth in the Heptathlon 800 Meters with a personal-best of 2:35.61 624.

Overall, VanSintemaartensdijk totaled 4657 points to finish fourth.

"This team competed amazingly," said Thiel. "I'm so proud of how far this team has come. We had so many outstanding performances and personal bests. We are excited to see where God takes this team next year. They really represent our university in their actions."