ETSU totaled 152 points on the weekend beating runner up Kennesaw State by 15 points, while the championship is the fourth for the Bucs in last six years under head coach Dave Walker.
"The last championship is always the nicest," Walker said. "We had some ups and downs early in the meet, and the rest of the team came to bat. That's how you win championships. After coming up short last year, we didn't want to leave anything to chance."
Jarrod Burton (Bastian, Va.) followed up his first place performance in the men's shot with an outstanding showing in the weight throw. Burton battled back and forth with Belmont's Joe Frye, and after losing the lead to Frye, Burton had a throw of 63-10 ¼ to break the meet record and move into first. Burton would be overtaken though on Frye's next throw as he would record a mark of 63-11 ¾, but Burton's second place finish and two meet record marks' earned him the A-Sun Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet.
"Jarrod is one outstanding athlete, and I don't know how we are going to replace him," Walker added. "It's good to see him perform like this in his senior season. He has always been a leader on this team and represents the program well."
Pat Bearry (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), Matthew Allison (Farifax, Va.) and Justin Burton (Bastian, Va.) also scored for the Bucs in the weight throw as they finished 5-6-7.
Senior Mike James (Palm Bay, Fla.) had a good day for the Buc as he placed first in the men's 60m hurdles posting a meet record time of 8.02. James then came back to score in the 60m dash finishing sixth with a time of 7.00, and also finished fourth in the high jump with mark of 6-2 ¼.
Jesse Aliaga-Jacob (Nice, France) and Desmond Pierce (Morristown, Tenn.) also had first place finishes for ETSU as Aliaga Jacob won the men's heptathlon with an A-Sun meet record 4750 points, while Pierce edged out Kennesaw State's Gianni Catalano in the 800m with a personal best time of 1:54.89. Stephond Allmond (Memphis, Tenn.) also scored big for the Bucs in the heptathlon as he posted a lifetime best 4,536.
In the men's triple jump, Ryan Beaver (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the way for ETSU finishing second with a jump of 49-1. Justin Haston (Jonesborough, Tenn.) and Jason Johnson (Springfield, Pa.) also scored in the triple as Haston had a PR jump of 46-8 ¾ and Johnson had a mark of 46-4 ¼.
ETSU finished 2-3 in the 400m as sophomore Robert Purcell (Raeford, N.C.) had a personal best time of 49.53, while Tim O'Dell (Palm Coast, Fla.) finished right behind him with a time of 49.62. Ben Ronoh (Sotik, Kenya) also had a top three finish in the 5000m as he placed third in the event running a time of 14:57.65.
The ETSU 4x400m relay team of O'Dell, Ryan Jones (Apopka, Fla.), Pierce and Purcell also finished third posting a time of 3:22.29, while Jones added to the point total in the high jump with his fifth place finish after a mark of 6-2 ¼.
"Our women's team is coming up the ladder," Walker said. "You have to walk before you can run, and right now they are learning how to run. Soon you should see them right there with the guys."
On the women's side, the Bucs finished in fourth tallying 72 points on the weekend. ETSU finished behind the champions Jacksonville (219 points), North Florida (154 points) and Kennesaw State (99 points).
Lexie Burley (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Bethany Lender (Altoona, Pa.) combined to go 2-3 in the triple jump as Burley posted a jump of 38-10 ¼, while Lender had a jump of 38-8 ¾.
Emani Harrison (Columbia, S.C.) came up just short in the women's 60m dash as she tallied a lifetime best time of 7.62, but could not edge out Jacksonville's Louise Kiernan who finished with a time of 7.59.
Jasmine Ingram (Fredrick, Md.) also scored well for the women as she placed third in the 200m with a time of 24.71, and then ran a time of 55.99 in the 400m to finish fourth.
The women's 4x400m relay team of Hannah Bowers (Jonesborough, Tenn.), Emma Bowers (Jonesborough, Tenn.), Ashton Bishop (Gate City, Va.) and Ingram posted a third place finish running 3:53.28 to pick up six points.
