Galbreath Grabs Gold

Photo: Mylani Galbreath

While many of the conferences around the NCAA are holding their indoor championships this weekend, Winners Only was able to cover the SWAC Championships last weekend, Feb. 17-18, in Birmingham, Alabama.

After one season at Southern Miss, Jackson State's Mylani Galbreath participated in two long jump competitions on her new team before the SWAC Championship meet. Galbreath debuted at the UAB Vulcan Invitational on Jan. 13, to a top nine finish of 44 competitors with a mark of 5.48 meters. She followed that with a top four effort at the University of South Alabama Jaguar Invitational landing at 5.72 meters.

The Jackson, Mississippi native had been on a bit of a drought. Her collegiate debut for Southern Miss was promising as she jumped an even six meters in a win at the UAB Blazer Invite. After that performance Galbreath went seven straight meets without landing at six meters. That all changed at this year's SWAC Championships.

Galbreath recorded a career best and SWAC record mark of 6.14 meters on her first attempt. She didn't get close to that mark again but her next two best jumps would have also won the gold medal as her second jump was 5.94 meters and her final one would've tied second place Shatara Johnson of Grambling's mark of 5.89 meters.

"It feels good," Galbreath said after the win. "I just want to thank God for allowing me to be the best that I could be today. I feel good ... I went hard in my warm-up, I actually got my body prepared."

A previous jumper at Tennessee, Johnson was one of three Grambling jumpers that placed in the top eight of the competition. Her freshman teammates Shamaya Joiner and Angel Sanders were sixth and eighth respectively with marks of 5.64 and 5.62.

Photo: Mia Heard

The third place finisher was Mia Heard of Florida A&M. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Heard was a SWAC outdoor champ in at the 2021 outdoor meet. The accomplished jumper left the meet a bit unsatisfied with her bronze medal winning effort of 5.88 meters.

Of her six career medal wins, Heard ranked this as her least favorite. "It's at the bottom, but it's okay," she said. "I got outdoor [season on the way] and I'm coming for it. I was once the SWAC champion and I can do it again."

Heard said that she rushed in all of her attempts. "I could've drove my knee more off of the board. What went right is, this is the best SWAC indoor I've ever had. [I jumped] 19 feet 3 [and a half inches] so I'm not mad about that."

Last year Heard won the silver medal at the SWAC outdoor meet. In 2022 she captured her first long jump bronze. While at Prairie View in 2021 she took a silver medal at the SWAC indoor meet. Along with taking gold in the long jump during outdoor season, Heard won a bronze in the triple jump. She closed the year as a west regional qualifier in the long jump.

SWAC Long Jump Results (Finalists only)

1. Mylani Galbreath, Jackson State, 6.14

2. Shatara Johnson, Grambling, 5.89

3. Mia Heard, Florida A&M, 5.88

4. Miahna Harden, Alabama A&M, 5.75

5. Peyton Funderburk, Southern, 5.65

6. Shamaya Joiner, Grambling, 5.64

7. Sanai Kintchen, Prairie View, 5.63

8. Angel Sanders, Grambling, 5.62

9. De'Aisha Davis, Alcorn State, 5.54