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Hickory, N.C.----The Wingate University men's outdoor track and field team posted 220 points to win its third straight South Atlantic Conference championship Thursday inside the Irwin Belk Track at the Moretz Sports Athletic Campus. Graduate student jumper Elijah Compton was named the Track Athlete of the Meet for his efforts.
 
Sophomore Mateo de Castro Navarro received the SAC Elite 23 Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the championship event. The mathematics major has a perfect 4.00 GPA. On Thursday, de Castro Navarro finished fourth in the shot put with his mark of 15.41 meters.
 
Wingate won four events Thursday. Compton won the 400 meter hurdles with a personal-best and school-record time of 51.78. Compton had two podium finishes Thursday, as he collected a bronze medal in the 110 meter hurdles with his time of 14.36. In 2024, he won two silver medals in the 110 and 400 meter hurdles.
 
Sophomore Levente Palvolgyi won the 800 meters for the second consecutive year, thanks to his season-best time of 1:50.10. Senior Luca Poppe won the 1500 meters with a time of 3:48.64. Junior Antonin Saint-Peyre collected the gold medal in the 5000 meters, thanks to his triumphant time of 14:56.00.
 
Wingate swept the podium in the 800 and the 5000 meters Thursday. The Bulldogs had six of the top eight finishers in the 5000 meters, five of the top six placements in the 800 meters and five of the top eight performances in the 1500 meters. On the day, Wingate collected four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals.
 
Wingate men's SAC championship notes, Thursday edition
 
- Wingate finished 1-2-3 in the 800 and the 5000 meters
- In the 800 meters, Aleix Lago was second with his time of 1:50.51
- Jakob Rettschlag was third with his time of 1:51.13
- In the 5000 meters, Tom Thierry was second with his time of 14:56.47
- Scott Nutter was third with his time of 14:56.80
- Lars Laros collected a silver medal in the 1500 meters (3:48.95)
- Wingate completed the two-day event with 220 points
- Host Lenoir-Rhyne was second with 134 points
- Carson-Newman took third place with 92 points