NEW ORLEANS — The UNC Pembroke track & field team continued a long-standing tradition for itself on Thursday when a program-record 14 student-athletes were named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Southeast Region team.

The top five individuals in each event from each region earned all-region honors, in addition to each of the members of the region’s top three relay teams. The regions used for this award include the Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West.

The announcement marks the sixth season that the squads have had multiple athletes on the all-region team. The announcement also marks the largest number of student-athletes recognized by the organization for all-region honors in one season.

On the men’s side, Darrin Elmore (triple jump) and NCAA National Qualifier Orlandus Gamble (high jump) each posted the region’s top marks in their respective events.

On the women’s side, the Conference Carolinas champion distance medley relay team comprised of Riley Axe, Sam Badami, Corey Pethers, and Valary Samoei ran the fastest time in the 4000m DMR for the Southeast Region to earn all-region nods.

Other All-Southeast Region team members include: Jathan DeBerry (high jump, 60-meter hurdles); Todzah Small (long jump); Raigan Evans (weight throw); Quanterra Harrison (60-meter hurdles); Dy’Air McCormick (60-meter dash, 200-meter dash); Savannah Watkins (long jump, 60-meter hurdles), and the 4×400-meter relay team of Harrison, Leisha Jackson, Saniya Smith and Watkins.

Baucom earns National Hitter of the Week honors

Good news continued to come in bunches for Ethan Baucom on Thursday afternoon when the senior first baseman was recognized as the National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

The announcement marks just the second NCBWA National Hitter of the Week laurel for the UNC Pembroke baseball program, as Baucom joined just former all-American Jordan Edgerton (2013-14) on the short, but distinguished, listing. Baucom raked in both Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week and NCBWA Southeast Region Hitter of the Week accolades earlier this week.

The Rockingham native recorded a .538 (7-for-13) series in a sweep of Claflin over the weekend, while also turning in one home run, two doubles, nine RBI and seven runs scored. The everyday starter at first base tallied multiple hit outings in each bookend of the weekend set, including a 2-for-4, 4-RBI showing in the opener that also included a pair of walks and three runs scored.

He closed out the weekend performance – one which saw him post a .923 slugging percentage and a .632 on-base percentage — with a 4-for-6, 4-RBI against the Panthers that included a double and his 51st career home run.

Baucom has played in 183 games (174 starts) over his career in the Black & Gold and has registered a .326 (238-for-730) batting average to complement 97 extra-base hits (51 HR), 227 RBI and 207 runs scored. He currently ranks third among the league’s all-time RBI leaders, and is tied for fourth among the PBC’s most prolific home run hitters.