Thomas, Jourdain, Best get distance wins at PBC championships

By Anna Biondolillo | Sports writer

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.—Distance runners Madison Thomas, Gabby Jourdain and Gabriel Best brought home the gold from the Peach Belt Conference outdoor track and field championships on May 1-2.

As the meet started off, the AU teams were faring well in distance events on opening day.

Thomas, the reigning PBC cross-country runner of the year, took first place in the 10,000 meters with a time of 37 minutes and 13.55 seconds. Jourdain, a freshman, placed second out of 13 of the conference’s best runners with a time of 37:13.64.  

“We took it out faster than we normally, which separated the field fast,” Thomas said. “I just chilled in the second-place spot until the last 500 meters, when Gabby and I picked it up and sprinted to the finish together.” 

The next day, Jourdain won the 5,000 meters with an impressive time of 17:38.17.

By doing so well in the 10K and winning the 5K, Jourdain received the 2026 PBC freshman of the year award.  

“My first outdoor track conference has been a blast, and I couldn’t be happier to be a Jag,” the kinesiology major reflected. “After the 10K on the first day, I had a feeling of how the 5K race would go and was excited that it wouldn’t be tactical but quick instead.” 

On the men’s side, Best won the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase race with a time of 9:29.51. Best won by four seconds. 

The sophomore accountant major was pleased with how the race went.

“I was really nervous since I hadn't practiced my jumps in a long time, but it played out exactly as I wanted it to,” Best said. “I controlled it from beginning to end, and it felt great to end the season off with a win.” 

AU’s Jordan Robertson took second in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:16.55.

There were other standout performances, including Tra’Vonte Smith, who took first in men’s shot put with a time of 14.70 meters; Mitchell Jean Baptiste, who got second in the men’s high jump with a height of 2.00 meters, and Jala Williams, who finished third in women’s discus.

But these wins didn’t come easy, as right before the women’s 800-meter race, the meet was postponed an hour due to the weather. With some disappointment, as many runners were race-ready, the teams piled onto the bus to wait out the storm.

An hour turned into an hour and a half, and finally, the teams got the clear to get ready to race. After this delay came the women’s 800-meter race, the 400-meter finals, the 200-meter finals, the 4x400 relays and the women’s discus final. There were a lot of jitters and nerves as the rain delay created a lot of anxious tension for the Jaguars.  

When it came down to the men and women’s 4x400 meter relay, the teams were neck and neck with Flagler and Lander in the team results. It all came down to this event to see who would be on the podium.

On the women’s side, the team ran an impressive time of 3:53.69, which represented a large improvement from the PBC Indoor Championship, where they ran a 4:12.34. Thanna Davis, Ava Adams, Kennedy McDonald and Cameron Wade ran the legs of this relay. This improvement yielded a third-place finish, earning the Jags a spot on the podium.  

AU’s Dorian Chance (5) heads toward the finish line in the 4×400-meter relay. (photo by Anna Biondolillo/the Bell Ringer)

The men’s 4x400 meter relay was arguably the most entertaining race of the meet. The relay started with AU’s Mykel Thompson, who handed off to Roberto Barrera, who maintained a good lead ahead of everyone else. The next handoff went to Charlie Roberts, who held the lead for as long as he could, but at the last handoff to Dorian Chance, the race tightened. With a photo finish, Augusta ended the race in second place with a time of 3:14.89 seconds, just .01 seconds behind Lander.  The Lander runner, Carson Norman, fell across the finish line, so his chest went through the tape first.

While a little disappointed by the result, the AU relay team was still proud of its performance.  

“As long as you have a lane, you have a chance,” Chance said after his race.

Chance had also previously finished second in the men’s 400-meter final with a time of 47.91 seconds. 

Behind all these performances, some have hidden heartaches that you wouldn’t see on a scoreboard. Senior Chris Hart won the men’s 100-meter final with a time of 10.44 seconds, but with all his speed and skill came from much harder beginnings. Hart has had an emotional journey this season, as he had previously had surgery on his left leg last fall. To come from the thought that he might never be able to compete again and to go on to win the men’s 100-meter race meant a lot to him.  

“I feel blessed to get to the end of the finish line with no aches and pains,” Hart said.

Hart reflected on all that went into getting to where he is now.

“I would be here all day to tell you all the late nights and early mornings that I went through to get where I’m at right now, but the one thing I can really say is all glory to God,” he said. “He’s the reason I’m here right now.” 

Both the AU women and men’s teams placed second overall. Embry-Riddle was first in both team competitions.

AU assistant coach Briana Tillman was impressed with how the Jaguar track-and-field teams performed.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what we built; we saw the vision back in the fall and brought it to life in a big way,” Tillman said. “More trophies, more school records and more history leading to next year.”  

Note: At the top of the page, Augusta’s Gabby Jourdain (C) takes the top spot on the podium after winning the 5,000 meters. (photo by Anna Biondolillo/the Bell Ringer)

Contact Anna Biondolillo at abiondolillo@augusta.edu.