DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Lander track and field teams wrapped up the 2025 outdoor season at the Peach Belt Conference Championships, held April 28–29 at Embry-Riddle. Across the two-day meet, the Bearcats recorded multiple top-three finishes and added three more individual conference titles courtesy of
Michael Balkman,
Tymia Willis, and
Jamia Clark. Lander also set 11 new program records, nine of which placed in the top eight scoring positions.
The women's team placed fifth overall, while the men finished seventh. Host Embry-Riddle swept both team titles, claiming its eighth consecutive championship on each side.
Balkman led the way for the men's team, earning his second career PBC title in just his first season of outdoor competition. The Blythewood, S.C., native won the 400 meters with a program-record time of 47.86 seconds. He also placed second in the 200 meters, clocking another school-best time of 21.53.
Balkman anchored the 4x400-meter relay team—joined by Kendel Rollerson, Vernon Watson, and Deidre Smith—which placed third in a program-record 3:20.38. The 4x100-meter relay team of Pharrell Martinez, Aijalon Jackson, Rollerson, and Watson also reached the podium, taking second in 42.09.
For his performance, Balkman was named the Men's Freshman Track Athlete of the Year presented by College Ave, awarded to the highest-scoring freshman at the meet—mirroring his recognition from the indoor season.
On the women's side, Willis captured the conference title in the 400 meters with a program-record time of 57.18. She also placed seventh in the 200 meters, breaking another school record at 25.33. The freshman contributed to the women's 4x400-meter relay as well, joining Keyonna Morgan, Caalyn Hyman, and Kiersten Thatcher to place eighth.
In field events, Clark earned a conference title in the women's shot put with a program-record mark of 12.36 meters. Freshman Yiddisha Lyles claimed third in the discus with a school-record throw of 40.68 meters, while freshman Allyson Woolever set a new program best in the pole vault, clearing 2.75 meters to place sixth.
Junior Isaiah Groves set a school record in the men's long jump with a leap of 6.81 meters, good for sixth place. In distance events, freshman Seth Hammon established a new school best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 10:27.98, and sophomore Noah Chevalier lowered his own 5,000-meter record to 15:58.77, finishing seventh.
In the women's heptathlon, Thatcher placed third overall with 2,684 points.
Freshmen E'Myus Young and Tylan Fowler rounded out the men's scoring in the triple jump, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.
