JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After the first day of competition at the ASUN Outdoor Championships, the Bears used eight podium finishes, including three gold medals, to build an early lead over the competition. Through the Thursday session, the men's team leads by 33 points, while the women's team is ahead by 13 points.
 
Jeff King earned the first gold medal of the Championships for Central Arkansas with a first-place finish in the javelin throw. King's throw of 58.81 meters (192-11) took the top spot by over nine feet. Levi Dugger, Sloan Jones, Nathan Uptagrafft, Alexander Anderson, and Maximillian Laur all finished in the top-eight to earn scoring finishes for the Bears. 
 
Jaden Schneeberger continued the gold rush for Central Arkansas, claiming gold in the hammer throw with a school record mark of 66.73 meters (218-11). Treavor Green and Devyn Steingisser earned the silver and bronze medals to complete the podium sweep in the event for the Bears, while Ethan Eddy added a scoring finish, coming in sixth. 
 
Joia Perry earned the third gold medal of the day for the Bears in the women's hammer throw event. Perry's toss of 63.71 meters (209-00) not only earned her the title of ASUN Champion, but set a new conference and school record in the process. Serena Degollado earned the broze medal with a mark of 54.26 meters (178-00). Jane Musengwa and Joy Nance also earned scoring finishes for Central Arkansas in the event. 
 
Ansley Drake claimed the Bears final podium finish of Thursday's session with a second-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 3.78 meters (12-04.75). Kylie Coleman and Maygan Jarvis also earned scoring places for Central Arkansas. 
 
After the first half of the combined events, Sloan Jones, Nathan Uptagrafft, and Alexander Anderson have built a sizeable 1-2-3 lead in the men's decathlon events, with Levi Dugger, and Lance McNew in fifth and sixth place through five events. 

In the women's heptathlon, Keristin Moore, Madisyn Crandall, and Emily Morrison sit in second, third, and fourth place through four events. 
 
The meet will resume on Friday morning at 7 a.m. with the men's decathlon 110-meter hurdles. Field events will resume at 1 p.m., and running events are slated to start at 5 p.m. Live results will be provided by Half-Mile Timing.