The East Tennessee State men's track and field team outscored Kennesaw State 141-120 in the final day of competition of the Atlantic Sun Championships, but it wasn't enough to defend last year's crown as the Buccaneers fell short to the Owls, 177-172, in the final team standings.
Trailing by three points heading into the final event — 4x400-meter relay — the ETSU men had to win and have Kennesaw finish in third or lower.
Kennesaw did finish in third but ETSU took fifth, giving the Owls the title by five points.
The Buccaneer men picked up four victories and several other podium finishes throughout the weekend.
Junior Tim O'Dell won the 400-meter dash in a meet-record performance of 48.30 seconds. Jason Johnson captured the triple jump in 48 feet, 11 inches, while Ifrish Alberg won the 60 with a time of 6.79.
Marek Navratil also grabbed gold in the high jump in 6-8.75.
K'vonte Scott improved on his school record in the heptathlon, placing second with 4953 points, just one point behind Kennesaw State's Brian Graham.
Scott, a freshman, picked up wins in the long jump and high jump. He also set a new personal best in the 60-meter dash (7.27 seconds) and shot put (34-11).
Freshman Jadon Short stood on the medal podium three times after finishing second in the long jump (23-10.25 ) and the 60 (6.89 ) and third in the 200 (22.03).
Short was named the meet's Most Outstanding Freshman and Most Outstanding Male Performer.
"Although we didn't win the championship, it's still a great honor to receive these awards," said Short.
Fellow teammate Jalovy Filip recorded a personal best of 4:14.16 in the mile, good for a third-place finish. Filip also anchored the ETSU distance medley team to the third spot on the podium (10:20.01). Cornell Sneed had a third-place showing in the shot put.
The ETSU women took fourth in the final standings, highlighted by two first-place performances.
Freshman Demeteria Edgecombe set a new meet record en route to winning the 60 hurdles in 8.53.
Lexie Burley leaped to her first conference title in the triple jump with a 40 feet even mark.
Emani Harrison posted a 7.62 to take the silver medal in the 60.
ETSU also had a great showing in the women's multi-events. The Buccaneers claimed the second, fourth and fifth spots in the pentathlon with Katerina Vodova (3707), Taylor Story (3436) and Leah Oakhill (3216).
All three women set personal bests in the event.
A trio of Buccaneers finished in the bronze position in Jasmine Foster (shot put, 43-6), Vodova (long jump, 18-8.5) and Kelly Monteleone (39-3.25).
ETSU returns to action March 3 at the Virginia Tech Last Chance Qualifier in Blacksburg, Va. The meet will serve as the final opportunity to qualify for the March 9-10 NCAA Indoor Championships in Boise, Idaho.
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