Gonzalez Has Career Meet, Freeman Wins 1st Indoor Title, Men’s Track & Field Places 3rd At SWAC Indoor Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jose Gonzalez was named the SWAC’s Most Outstanding Runner along with a first-place finish from Hezekiah Freeman as the men’s track & field team placed third overall at the 2023 SWAC Indoor Championship.
 
For the second straight year, the meet format was shaken up due to weather as the final day of the meet featured timed finals. TSU adjusted to the change as the team had 18 top-10 finishes and four individual championships.
 
Gonzalez dominated this year’s indoor event with first place finishes in the mile (4:13.93), 3,000 (8:22.75) and 5,000-meter runs (15:02.43). He also set personal bests in both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs.
 
Freeman also walked away with his first-ever indoor championship title after a throw of 52-5.25 feet in the shot put while also placing third in the weight throw after a personal-best mark of 57-feet.
 
In the sprints, Chaunzavia Lewis placed eighth in the 60-meter dash as he completed the run in a time of 6.88. Brandon Washington finished fifth in the 800 with a mark of 1:54.18 while Malachi Byrd ran 8.44 en route to an eighth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles.
 
The mile relay tandem of Michael Strange, Jr., Washington, Isaiah Barnes and Ka’Bren Mitchell finished eighth after a run of 3:22.11. The distance medley quartet of Mitchell, Strange, Jr., Washington and Gonzalez placed fourth with a time of 10:21.68.
 
Turey Stoudmire finished sixth (6-7.5) in the high jump followed by a 10th-place jump of 6-4.25 from Chadrick Williams.
 
Joshua Goslee placed second in the pole vault after finishing with a mark of 14-7.25 on his second-to-last attempt. Ian Charles placed fourth (13-11.25) followed by Williams’ seventh-place mark of 12-3.5. Donyae Castaneda logged a third-place mark in the long jump as he recorded a length of 23-4.5.
 
TSU did well in the triple jump as Williams finished third (49-4.5) followed by a personal-best and seventh-place mark of 46-2.75 feet from Elijah Jordan.
 
TSU is back in action for outdoor season at the 71^st annual TSU Relays on March 17-18.