ROME -- The Hawks accumulated 234 points on the weekend to finish second overall at their first-ever Gulf South Conference Track & Field Championships hosted at Barron Stadium and the Shorter Throws Center.

Alabama Huntsville, also in their first year of GSC Track membership, finished first with 262 points. Lee rounded out the top three with 108 points. While, Mississippi College (81), West Alabama (66) and Christian Brothers (49) finished in fourth through sixth, respectively.

Shorter scored points in each of the events it competed in, winning 8 gold medals. While, also having multiple participants score in 12 different events.

In the 100 Meter Dash, Lester Miller took top honors, turning in a time of 10.28 seconds. The mark earned Miller an automatic qualification to DII Nationals in May, and was .04 off the Shorter record, set in 2014 by Kirk Wilson.

Shorter had three other members place in the 100m, help the Hawks to a total of 20 points for the event, as Barnett Bailey finished third (10.56), Devin Wallace placed sixth (10.73), and Emile Cesaire finished eighth (10.81).

The Hawks added 17 points in the 200m with four finishing within the top eight. Miller led the way in second place (20.84) as he and UAH's Kwantreyl McConico crossed the line simultaneously. Bailey (21.39), Wallace (21.40) and Deangelo Harris (21.44) finished in fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.

Shorter had three place at the 400m distance for 18 points, led by Harris in second with a time of 47.46; followed by Todd Woodring in third with a time of 48.73. Cecil Robinson finished fifth, crossing the line in 49.88.

Dejon Devroe, KhayVonn Benson and Braxton Lindley earned points in the 800m, with Devroe winning in a time of 1:51.54. Benson was third with a time of 1:55.76, and Lindley finished sixth in a time of 1:58.18.

Devroe and Benson also gave the Hawks points at the 1500m distance as Devroe finished third in a time of 4:02.23 and Benson placed fourth in a time of 4:03.11.

Jonathan Ross highlighted the day's performances in the 110 hurdles as he crossed the line in 13.98 seconds. A time that not only gave him the gold medal in the event, but also earned him an automatic qualification to DII Nationals, broke the Shorter record, and is the third fastest in DII this season. Justin Blackmon and Lane Fletcher also placed in the event, finishing in third (14.92) and seventh (15.98), respectively.

The Hawks went one, two, three, and five in the 400m hurdles with Wake Roberds earning his fourth consecutive conference championship at the distance, having won the last three Peach Belt Conference titles, when he bested the field in a time of 52.29. Christian Smith was second in a time of 52.70, and was followed by Blackmon in third in a time of 54.20. Ross also placed at the 400m distance in a time of 56.16.

Shorter's relay teams finished first at both distances. Winning the 4x100, Cesaire, Bailey, Wallace and Miller posted a time of 40.31. While, Smith, Roberds, Woodring, and Harris turned in a time of 3:10.97 in the 4x400.

Ratavious Jackson finished second in high jump, long jump and triple jump. In the high jump he cleared the bar at 1.93m, while jumping 6.98m in the long jump, and posting a leap of 14.37m in the triple jump.

Jonathan Willman won the long jump with a leap of 7.13m, while Smith finished fifth with a jump of 6.90m. Miller followed just behind in sixth with a jump of 6.76m. Roberd was sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 13.40m, while Ross finished eighth with a distance of 12.74m.

In the throws the Hawks earned points in each event.

For the shot put, Freddie Hart finished fifth with a throw of 12.75m, while Corey Freeman added a seventh place finish with a distance of 12.53m. The pair switched in the discus, with Freeman posting a third place finish with a throw of 38.04m; while Hart placed sixth with a throw of 34.37m. Freeman took top honors in the hammer throw, clearing a distance of 45.55m; while Jaquante Whitaker placed sixth with a throw of 36.46m. Eli Hightower earned the Hawks only points in the javelin with a seventh place throw (48.10m).

Fletcher bettered the Shorter record in points in the decathlon, a mark he set last season at the NCCAA National Championship, accumulating 6225 points for the ten events on the weekend. During the course of the two days he placed first in the 100m and the 1500m. Hightower was seventh overall with a decathlon score of 4573.

The Hawks currently have three individuals – Devroe, Miller and Ross – with automatic qualifications to DII Nationals; in addition to the 4x400m relay team of Roberds, Woodring, Harris and Smith. With five other performances within the top 10 for their respective events.