No. 21 Trailblazer Track and Field has great showing at Tiger Paw Classic

Posted: Jan 29, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Vincennes University men's and women's Track and Field teams both entered this week ranked No. 21 in the country in this week's polls.

The Trailblazer teams defended these rankings well at Friday's Tiger Paw Classic in Louisville hosted by Campbellsville University and Georgetown College.

VU's men's team dominated the 1000 meter race, with the blue and gold coming away with three of the top four finishers.

Freshman Mathew Keitany (Kenya) took home first place in the event, finishing with a time of 2:31.46.

Sophomores Manamanya Opiew (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Trenton Faulkner (Vincennes, Ind.) also placed in the top five, with Opiew placing second at 2:34.04 and Faulkner coming in fourth at 2:35.81.

The trio also teamed up with freshman Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) to take a dominate first-place finish in the 4x800 meter relay. Finishing with a time of 8:16.46, 33 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Sophomore Kyle Stewart (Evansville, Ind.) placed second in the long jump, after a jump of 7.10 meters.

Freshman Nicholas Stanislaus (Grenada) also reached the podium in the long jump event, placing seventh at 6.64 meters.

Freshman Armin Beham (Austria) held his own in the throwing pit, placing third in the shot put at 14.08 meters and fourth in the weight throw at 14.62 meters.

Sophomore Mason Harmes (Borden, Ind.) placed sixth in the shot put as well, finishing with a longest throw of 12.36 meters.

Freshman Jaien Webster (Anderson, Ind.) placed fifth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.54 seconds.

Sophomore Matthew Frazier reached the podium in the pole vault, reaching a height of 3.85 meters and placing sixth.

Sophomore Ian Boit rounded out the VU men's podium finishers by taking home eighth in the 3000 meter race, finishing with a time of 9:13.77.

"The 1000 meter was our best event of the day," VU Track and Field Head Coach Marty Rogier said. "Mathew qualified for Nationals and Manamanya just missed qualifying by 0.3 seconds. Ernest Momodu also won his heat in the 1000 also."

"Those three along with Trenton won the 4x800 relay and lapped the field, which was impressive," Rogier added. "Kyle Stewart placed second in the long jump but had a jump of 7.48 meters scratched, which would have been good for second in the country."

"Jaien Webster competed for the first time in two years and took fifth in the 60 meter hurdles. He had a good time of 8.5 seconds and we see good things still to come from him. Armin, in his first meet in the United States, finished fourth in the weight throw and fell just shy of qualifying for Nationals. Mason set a new PR for the third consecutive week in the weight throw as well."

The Trailblazers continued to dominate the 1000 meter race on the women's side as sophomore Kyra Young (South Bend, Ind.) took home first place with a time of 3:17.46.

Young would also finish fourth in the 4x800 meter relay along with teammates Brittany Page (Bicknell, Ind.), Kaitlyn Koenig and Hope Laughlin (Olney, Ill.), finishing with a time of 11:02.65.

"The women's team ran well in the 1000, with Kyra, Brittany and Hope all giving good efforts," Rogier said. "Chloe Knepp (Montgomery, Ind.) also ran two nice races on the day and set a new PR in the 400 meters."

The No. 21-ranked VU Track teams now have a week to rest and recover before hitting the road again Saturday, Feb. 12 when Vincennes takes part in the 'Big Meet' hosted by Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

"Overall, it was a good meet at an awesome facility against very good competition," Rogier added. "This meet gave us some really good insight into what we can achieve if we put in the work."

VINCENNES RESULTS

MEN'S RESULTS

1000m

Mathew Keitany – 1, 2:31.46

Manamanya Opiew – 2, 2:34.04

Trenton Faulkner – 4, 2:35.81

3000m

Ian Boit – 8, 9:13.77

60m Hurdles

Jaien Webster – 5, 8.54

4x800 Relay

Opiew, Momodu, Keitany, Faulkner – 1, 8:16.46