The Texas State men’s indoor track and field team is hard at work in preparation for upcoming Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships after falling short of first place last season.
The Bobcats finished in second place behind the University of Texas – Arlington. Texas State took home five first-place medals on the final day of the meet in Birmingham, Alabama.
Returning for the Bobcats this season are 400-meter co-gold medalists senior sprinter De’Marcus Porter and junior sprinter Lincoln Warren. The duo crossed the finish line in a photo finish at 47.804 to take two gold medals home for the Bobcats.
Senior sprinter Kelson Pierre who helped sweep the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.95.
Senior distance runner Joseph Meade will also run his final season as a Bobcat. Meade took home the 5000-meter title last season after setting a new personal best and the second-fastest time in school history. Meade’s winning time was 14:30.7.
The men’s 1600-meter relay will have to regroup after losing two members of the gold medal team. Pierre and Warren are the final two left.
Junior thrower T’Mond Johnson has returned to the Bobcats on the field side of the team. Johnson’s 18.23-meter  toss won him a gold medal and the third best throw in program history.
Texas State seniors this season include mid-distance runner Noe Belmares Jr., jumper Alvin Chikaeze,  sprinter Aaron George, distance runner Jose Angel Gonzalez, hurdler Christopher Green, mid-distance runner Jordan Janer, mid-distance runner Logan Pittdman, Meade, Pierre and Porter.
The Bobcats began their season Jan. 5 in Baton Rouge at the Purple Tiger Invitational.
The freshmen on the team showed why they belong after claiming three of the six gold medals Texas State took home.
Freshman sprinter Jaylen Allen claimed the 200-meter dash title with a time of 22.13.
Freshman sprinter Kobe Daniels stood at the top of the podium after winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.24. Freshman sprinter Tyrell Valentine took home the silver and freshman sprinter Matthew Parker took third.
Freshman mid-distance runner Joe Austin also took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.97.
Chikaeze won the triple jump with a jump of 14.83-meter. Johnson also won the shot-put event with a throw of 18.50-meter.
The Bobcats continued their season at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station.
Texas State recorded 31 performances that ranked in the top ten in the Sun Belt Conference.
Chikaeze took home the triple jump title with a leap of 15.16-meter. Chikaeze’s jump placed him on the top ten list in school history.
Freshman jumper Ronnie Briscoe received the bronze medal with a leap of 14.29-meter.
Johnson’s shot-put toss of 18.95-meter was the second-best toss in shot put in school history.
Other team members who had SBC top ten finishes were Pittdman (3000-meter run), Janer (mile), Pierre (400-meter dash) and the 1600-meter relay squad of sophomore hurdler Christian Jackson, Green, Briscoe and Pierre.
Next for the Bobcats is the New Mexico Team Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico Jan. 27 and the Jaguar Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama Feb. 4.
Texas State has two more meets before the SBC Indoor Championship meet in Birmingham, Alabama Feb. 19-20.