BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Gabe Vargas led a 28-point effort in the shot put with a gold medal in his specialty event on Sunday and UTSA finished in third place at this weekend's Conference USA Championships, which took place at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
The Roadrunners, who entered the final day of the two-day meet in third place with 28 points, sat atop the team standings through 13 scored events, but Middle Tennessee made a late charge to capture the team crown.
Kaylon Sellers got UTSA's day started on a positive note with his third-place performance in the triple jump. The sophomore from Beaumont skipped to a career-best measurement of 49-1 (14.96m) on his sixth and final attempt of the competition, which moved him up to third on the program's all-time performers list. That final-jump effort moved him all the way up from ninth place and it gave the Roadrunners six valuable points. Western Kentucky's Ventavius Sears successfully defended his league crown with his jump of 50-6 ¼ (15.40m).
UTSA picked up seven more points when Adrian Riley (PR 5,192 points) and Jacob McDaniel (PR 4,679 points) finished third and eighth, respectively, in the two-day heptathlon. Rice's Scott Filip won the multi-event competition with 5,680 points, while Middle Tennessee's Atsu Nyamadi, the defending champion, placed second with 5,505. That result moved the Blue Raiders in front of Charlotte in the team standings by a margin of just three points (51-48) and the Roadrunners were just 10 points back with 41.
Vargas led a 1-2-3-5 finish, which resulted in a combined 28-point performance, for the program's eighth all-time victory in the shot put. The senior from Moreno Valley, Calif., recorded a winning mark of 57-4 ¾ (17.49m) on his second attempt of the day. Meanwhile, Tyler Finke placed second with his career-best measurement of 56-4 ¾ (17.19m), while Kelsey Benoit picked up the bronze medal with his put of 55-4 ¾ (16.88m). UTSA's remaining four points in the event came from Derek Fenton, who registered a personal-record mark of 53-4 ¼ (16.26m) en route to fifth place.
Vargas' victory marked the program's 77th all-time conference championship and 53 of those have come under the direction of 15th-year head coach Aaron Fox.
"Four years of throwing came down to today's six throws," Vargas said. "I came into this competition determined to leave everything I had in the ring and I was able to come out victorious in the end."
That put the Roadrunners in front for the first time as the meet moved on to the running finals and they held a 69-54 advantage on day one leader Charlotte.
Middle Tennessee picked up a combined 19 points in the mile and the Blue Raiders retook the lead at 70-69.
However, UTSA promptly regained the top spot in the team standings in the next event, the 60-meter hurdles, after Justin Gerbrecht crossed the finish line sixth in 8.34. That added three points to the Birds' team total, giving them a slim 72-70 edge over Middle Tennessee through 11 scored events.
The advantage was trimmed to one following the 60m, as the Blue Raiders' Solomon Afful placed sixth in 6.84, while Desmond Jefferson crossed the finish line in seventh place (6.90). Southern Miss' Cra'Vorkian Carson won the title in 6.72.
Meanwhile, Vasha Sheriff broke All-American Leonard Byrd's 20-year-old program record in the 400m (47.09) with his time of 46.86, which resulted in the sophomore from Amarillo picking up a silver medal. Western Kentucky's Emmanuel Dasor successfully defended his title in 46.54, but UTSA's lead grew to nine by virtue of Sheriff's eight points.
"Today was a really good day and I'm really proud of all my teammates," Sheriff said. "Multiple people broke school records this weekend and I was fortunate to be one of them. I really couldn't believe it at first, but I give the glory to god and my coaches for preparing me to perform well."
Unfortunately, the Roadrunners' edge was erased in the 800m despite Luca Chatham's fourth-place performance (1:52.97), as Middle Tennessee racked up 17 points to go back in front yet again, this time for good, at 90-87. UTEP's Michael Saruni won the event in 1:50.67.
The Blue Raiders extended the advantage to nine (100-91) after Afful won the 200m in 21.00, which offset Jefferson's fifth-place showing (PR 21.54).
Middle Tennessee then put the team race out of reach after taking the top three spots as well as the seventh in the 3k for a combined 26 points.
The Roadrunners' remaining points of the meet came in the final event, the 1,600m relay, when Andrew Pirog, Sheriff, Byron Taylor and Chris Rosales passed the baton in 3:14.66, which was good for third place. Western Kentucky won the race in a meet-record time of 3:11.37 and the two-time defending champions passed UTSA in the team standings after winning the gold medal.
Middle Tennessee won the team title with 130 points, while the Hilltoppers were second with 100 and the Roadrunners finished third with their 97.
"I thought the men competed well today," Fox said "We knew Middle Tennessee was the favorite going in and they were able to step up. We did everything we could but fell a little short."
UTSA's indoor season is complete and it now will take the next three weekends off before beginning its outdoor campaign from March 17-18 when it hosts the UTSA Invitational.
