Greenville, SC – Conference Carolinas announced the Men's Indoor Track and Field preseason polls on November 17 with the University of Mount Olive Trojans claiming the first place position in voting.

The University of Mount Olive Trojans took the first place pick in the 2021-22 Men's Indoor Track and Field preseason poll after collecting 100 points and 10 first place finish votes.  The Trojans claimed their fifth consecutive championship title last season after capturing 167.5 team points.  Not only that, but the Trojans swept the major awards for the season.

In their second season competing in Indoor Track and Field, the UNC Pembroke Braves finished tied for second with the Emmanuel Lions in the preseason poll votes.  Both the Braves and the Lions had 79 points, with the Lions also having one first place finish vote.  The Lions finished second in the Conference Carolinas Indoor Track and Field Championship with 102 team points while the Braves finished in third with 71.5 team points.

The North Greenville Crusaders were picked fourth in the preseason poll after collecting 69 points.  Last season, the Crusaders finished in fourth place at the championship.  They were followed by the Lees-McRae Bobcats with 58 points in the preseason poll.  The Bobcats took fifth in the Conference Carolinas championship last season.  The Belmont Abbey College Crusaders were right behind the Bobcats in the preseason poll with 53 points.  They finished the championship in sixth place last season.

The Southern Wesleyan Warriors were picked seventh in the preseason poll with 42 points.  The Warriors finished last season tied for ninth last year in the Conference Carolinas Championship.  They were followed by the Barton Bulldogs (35 points), the Erskine Flying Fleet (34 points), the King Tornado (32 points) and the Converse Valkyries (24 points).

Southern Wesleyan returns All-Conference High Jumper Chandler Whittle.  Whittle finished the Indoor season last year in second place with a height of 1.96 meters.  Christian Swindle and Konner Palacios both return for their final season of competition.  Palacios will compete in the mid-distance events for the Warriors including the team's Distance Medley Relay and 4x400 Meter Relay that took fourth and fifth place respectively in the last year's championship.  Swindle will compete in throwing events.  Pole Vaulter Evan Motes will also return for the Warriors after his fourth place finish with a vault of 3.74 meters last season.

The Warriors will kick off the indoor season on December 3 as they travel right down the road to Clemson, SC to compete in the Clemson Opener.  They will then travel to Columbia, SC to take part in several meets hosted by the University of South Carolina.  Southern Wesleyan will wrap up the regular season on February 10 in Winston-Salem, NC as they compete in the JDL Champion College Team Challenge.  The Conference Carolinas Indoor Championship will be held on February 20-21 in Winston-Salem, NC.


2021-22 Conference Carolinas
Men's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Poll
 

School	Total (First Place)
Mount Olive	100 (10)
Emmanuel	79 (1)
UNC Pembroke	79
North Greenville	69
Lees-McRae	58
Belmont Abbey	53
Southern Wesleyan	42
Barton	35
Erskine	34
King	32
Converse	24

 

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2021-22 Conference Carolinas Men's Indoor Track and Field
Athletes to Watch
Barton

• Justin Cooper, Fr., Sprints, High Point, North Carolina
• Greg Barnes, So., Sprints, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
• Tyler Burns, Sr., Sprints, Wilson, North Carolina (2021 All-Conference Carolinas 200m, 400m relay)

Belmont Abbey

• Kelly Hay, Fr., Pole Vault, Huntsville, Alabama
• Logan Murphy-Redd, Jr., Sprints, Alexandria, Virginia
• Thomas Thierfelfer, Jr., Mid-Distance, Gastonia, North Carolina (2021 Conference Carolinas 800m Champion)

Converse

• Gavin McFadden, Fr., Sprints, Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Isaiah Donald, Fr., Sprints, Piedmont, South Carolina 
• Ryan Glenn, Fr., Sprints, Hopkins, South Carolina

Emmanuel

• Sulaimane Bangura, Sr., Conyers, Georgia, (Four-time All-Conference Carolinas First Team, Six-time USTFCCCA All-Region, First team All-American, Second Team All-American)
• Ahmad Perryman, Sr., Roswell, Georgia, (Two-time All-American)
• Tucker Flint, Jr., Commerce, Georgia, (Four-time All-Conference Carolinas First Team, Two-time USTFCCCA All-Region)

Erskine

• Tim Ashe, So., Sprints, Greer, South Carolina
• Gabriel Walker, Fr., Taylors, South Carolina
• Noah Woodbury, So., Distance, Summerville, South Carolina (2021 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team, 10,000m)

King

• Kolin Miller, Sr., Morristown, Tennessee (2020-21 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team Weight Throw)
• Blaine Metcalf, Sr., Morristown, Tennessee
• Davion Tillison, Fr., Wytheville, Virginia 

Lees-McRae

• Christian Bargaineer, So., Sprints/Jumps, Wedgewood, Florida (2020-21 All-Conference Carolinas First Team Triple Jump, Second Team 60m Hurdles, 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles)
• Brian Sims Jr., Sr., Sprints/Distance, Birmingham, Alabama (2020-21 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team 400m, 4x400m Relay)
• Max Geckler, Fr., Distance, Wake Forest, North Carolina

North Greenville

• Jacob Holcombe, Sr., Distance, Walhalla, South Carolina (2021 All-Conference Carolinas First Team, 3,000m Steeple)
• Adrian McGee, Gr., Jumps, Greer, South Carolina (2021 Conference Carolinas Indoor Long Jump Champion, 2021 All-Conference Carolinas Second Team, Outdoor Long Jump; 2018 All-Conference Carolinas Second Team, Outdoor High Jump, 2018 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team, Outdoor Long Jump)
• Victor Shellhammer, Sr., Mid Distance, Summerville, South Carolina (2021 Conference Carolinas Indoor Mile Champion, All-Conference Carolinas Third Team, Outdoor 800m, 1500m)

Southern Wesleyan

• Evan Motes, So., Pole Vault, Anderson, South Carolina
• Christian Swindle, Gr., Throws, Seneca, South Carolina
• Konner Palacios, Gr., Mid-distance, Powdersville, South Carolina (2019-20 All-Conference Third Team 4000m DMR)

UNC Pembroke

• Orlandus Gamble, Jr., Jumps, Kings Mountain, North Carolina (Conference Carolinas High Jump Champion, All-Conference Carolinas, USTFCCCA All-Region, NCAA National Qualifier, All-American)
• Jathan DeBerry, Jr., Jumps/Hurdles, Leland, North Carolina (All-Conference Carolinas – High Jump, 60m Hurdles, Mountain East Conference Champion 60m Hurdles, All-Mountain East Conference, 2-time USTFCCCA All-Region – High Jump, 60m Hurdles)
• Caleb Baldwin, So., Sprints, Mebane, North Carolina