The Thomas University men's track and field team turned in a strong two‑day performance at the 2026 SSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, held February 20–21 at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center in Gainesville, Florida. The Night Hawks produced a series of personal bests, one school record, and several top‑eight finishes, closing the meet seventh overall with 12 team points.
Action began on Friday with the long jump, where Ean Miller delivered a seventh‑place finish behind a mark of 6.39m (20' 11.75"), giving the Night Hawks their first points of the championships. Teammate Jerry Speights placed 14th at 5.97m (19' 7"). In the weight throw, Connor Munn finished 14th with a throw of 7.95m (26' 1"), while Jadon Parker was unable to record a mark. On the track, freshman sprinter Jayson Evans continued his steady improvement, placing 13th in the 200 meters with a personal‑best time of 22.48, while Aaron Wilson was disqualified under Rule 7.5‑2b. Thomas closed Day 1 with a strong effort in the Distance Medley Relay, as the team of Nelson Lopez, Fabian Jeune, Glenn Walker, and Landon Watts ran 11:27.77 to finish seventh.
Saturday brought an even stronger day for the Night Hawks, highlighted by a new school record in the shot put. Munn placed seventh with a throw of 13.03m (42' 9"), breaking the previous program mark. Parker added a breakout performance of his own, finishing ninth with a personal‑best throw of 12.60m (41' 4.25"), which now stands as the Thomas freshman class record. In the triple jump, Speights returned to take 10th with a mark of 11.99m (39' 4"), and Miller added another top‑five performance in the high jump, clearing 1.92m (6' 3.5") to finish fifth.
The sprint group delivered an impressive showing in the 60 meters, with three Night Hawks earning new personal bests: Miller ran 7.44, Speights followed in 7.46, and Wilson clocked a new best of 7.80. Evans led the group at 7.25, good for 16th overall. In the distance events, Watts posted the team's top finish in the 3000 meters, placing 11th in 9:24.44. Lopez added a personal‑best performance in the 1000 meters, finishing 10th in 2:47.07, while Walker crossed in 15th at 3:06.97. Jeune contributed another PR in the 600 meters with a time of 1:32.27. Watts returned later in the day to run 4:47.46 in the mile, placing 11th.
Thomas closed the championships with a strong effort in the 4x400 relay, as Evans (54.7), Lopez (51.3), Speights (52.1), and Jeune (55.9) combined for a time of 3:34.00 to finish seventh and add the final points of the weekend.
In the overall team standings, Life University claimed the conference title with 233 points, followed by William Carey (185.5), Mobile (90.5), Brewton-Parker (77), Xavier (65), Loyola (63), and Thomas in seventh with 12 points. The Night Hawks' numerous personal bests, relay performances, and a new school record made for a successful weekend as the team now turns its focus toward the upcoming outdoor season.
