Women’s Team
The VMI women’s track and field team capped off a strong indoor season by placing sixth overall at the 2024 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted by VMI at the Corps Physical Training Facility.
The Keydets came in sixth with 68.5 points over the two-day event, just 1.5 points behind fifth-place ETSU.
Eleyah Armstrong ’25 had a strong SoCon Championship by winning the long jump at 5.96 meters Feb. 24 to turn around and win the 60-meter finals the following day for the second year in a row. She earned a new personal record time of 7.44 seconds for the title and All-SoCon honors in both events. Armstrong also competed in the 200-meter and placed fifth overall in 25.35 seconds.
Taylor Hill ’26 won the pole vault individual title with a height of 3.82 meters, a new personal standard, to earn All-SoCon recognition and take the podium in first place.
Jenna Kirkland ’24 placed fourth in the weight throw with a new PR distance of 15.00 meters, her second day in a row of setting a new benchmark.
Julie Freitas ’25 placed fifth in the triple jump with a PR distance of 11.57 meters to earn team points for the first time in her VMI career.
The Keydets look to build on the strong finish at the SoCon Championships by continuing to push forward and improve at each event during the outdoor season.
Men’s Team
The VMI men’s track and field team continued to show why it is one of the stronger programs in the Southern Conference by placing fourth overall at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by VMI at the Corps Physical Training Facility Feb. 24–25, 2024.
The Keydets came in fourth with 109 points over the two-day event, just three points behind third-place Furman.
Keyandre Midgett ’24 highlighted the meet for VMI by placing first in both the long jump and the triple jump to be named the league’s Male Most Outstanding Field Performer for the second year in a row. He won the triple jump for the second straight year by posting a new personal best and CPTF record distance of 15.57 meters to earn All-SoCon honors.
Rafe Clendenin ’27, thrower, was named the league’s Male Freshman of the Year after he placed second in both the shot put and the weight throw to earn All-SoCon honors for both events. He placed second in the shot put Feb. 24 with a new PR distance of 15.18 meters; the next day, he turned in a new PR distance of 15.60 meters for second place behind teammate Andrew Granger ’24 in the weight throw Feb. 25.
Granger won the men’s weight throw for the second year in a row with a new PR distance of 17.46 meters to earn the individual title and All-SoCon recognition.
Liam McBride ’24, hurdler, again reset his own school record for the third time this indoor season in the 60-meter hurdles with a new PR time of 7.96 seconds, earning All-SoCon honors as he placed second in the finals. Nick Brown ’25 and Richard Edwards ’25 earned All-SoCon by placing second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter. Brown finished with a PR time of 47.74 seconds, while Edwards also earned a new PR of 48.21 seconds. The 4×400 team of Brown, Midgett, Edwards, and Xander Topos ’25 earned All-SoCon honors by placing third in 3:19.57.
