App State Brew 5/18: Soarin' To New Heights

Gray, Mountaineers Post Record-Setting Weekend At Sun Belt Championships

May 18, 2026

Good morning, App State Fam. It was a performance that will be talked about for a long, long time in Mountaineer history….

What all do we have stirring in today’s Brew? Check it out below.

🎽 Soarin’ To New Heights
⚾️ Meet Us In Montgomery
🥎 Region’s Finest
🟡 And much more

🔼 Soarin’ To New Heights. Led by three individual Sun Belt champions, 17 podium finishes, multiple school, facility and meet records, and one of the best pole vault performances in NCAA history, the App State men's and women's track and field teams both captured their best finishes at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships since joining the league in 2015. 

The men took home second place with a score of 128, behind only Texas State (157). The men's previous best Sun Belt outdoor finish was fourth in 2024, and it was their best at a conference meet since winning the Southern Conference team title in 2012. 

The women accomplished their best team result with a third-place finish and a score of 80.5. The previous best Sun Belt outdoor finish for the women was fourth in 2016 and 2017, and it was their best overall since a runner-up SoCon finish in 2013. 

Highlighting the week was Matthew Gray, who had a pole vault performance for the ages. He shattered the Sun Belt, facility, and his own App State record with a clearance of 5.84m/19-2 to take home gold. His clearance set a new standard in the NCAA this outdoor season and ranks him 13th in the world this year and 11th in NCAA history. 

🔼 Meet Us In Montgomery. The regular season is all wrapped up, now it’s tourney time for App State Baseball.

The Mountaineers earned a program-best third-place finish in the Sun Belt standings with 17 conference victories on the season.

App State will open Sun Belt Tournament play on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET against sixth-seeded Texas State.

🔼 Region’s Finest. The accolades continued to roll in for App State Softball infielders Makayla McClain and Grace Barrett, who earned spots on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team late last week.

This is the first time that the Mountaineers have had multiple players named All-Region in the same season.

McClain is now the third Mountaineer in program history to earn all-region honors twice, joining Kayt Houston (2022 and 2024) and Allie Cashion (2012 and 2013). Barrett's honor makes her the fifth different App State player to garner All-Region recognition.

The men’s distance crew had a historic showing at the Sun Belt Championship as well, sweeping the podium in the 1500m on Saturday and the 3000m steeplechase on Friday.

How many times in history has App State’s men’s program finished 1-2-3 in multiple events at Sun Belt Championships?

Got a guess?

Scroll down to see if you know your stuff!

All times listed in ET

Wednesday, May 20th
⚾️ Baseball vs. Texas State @ 10 am ET (Montgomery, Ala.)

Thursday, May 21st
⚾️ Baseball at Sun Belt Tournament @ TBD (Montgomery, Ala.)

Friday, May 22nd
⚾️ Baseball at Sun Belt Tournament @ TBD (Montgomery, Ala.)

Saturday, May 23rd
⚾️ Baseball at Sun Belt Tournament @ TBD (Montgomery, Ala.)

Sunday, May 24th
⚾️ Baseball at Sun Belt Tournament @ TBD (Montgomery, Ala.)

Answer: It was the first time ever this year!

🟡 Have a great week, y’all!