Matthew Gray
Matthew Gray
  • Year:
    So.
  • Hometown:
    Washington, IN
  • High School:
    Washington
News mentions
VU Track and Field bring home host of honors and two Championships from NJCAA Outdoor Nationals
VU Track and Field bring home host of honors and two Championships from NJCAA Outdoor Nationals

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams represented very well over the weekend at the three-day NJCAA Division I Outdoor National Championships hosted by the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Vincennes claimed two National Championships, six All-American honors and brought home a bunch of Region honors as well. VU got off to a good start with freshman Cody Noel (Hebron, Ind.) kicking things off Thursday morning in the 10,000 meters.

VU Track and Field close out Outdoor regular season at Billy Hayes Invite
VU Track and Field close out Outdoor regular season at Billy Hayes Invite

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Vincennes University Track and Field teams took their final tune up before the 2024 NJCAA Division I National Championships Friday evening, heading up to Bloomington to take part in the Billy Hayes Invitational hosted by Indiana University. The Blazers again found themselves in a stacked field of NCAA Division I athletes and more than held their own. The VU men’s team was led by the Trailblazer relay teams, winning the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:11.36 and taking second place in the 4x100 relay with a time of 40.67 seconds.

VU Track and Field close to postseason form after busy split weekend
VU Track and Field close to postseason form after busy split weekend

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The number of National qualifiers continues to rise for the Vincennes University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams as the Blazers had another good weekend at two separate meets. The distance runners for the VU Trailblazers headed up north earlier this week to take part in the GVSU Extra Weekend meet at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. Thursday evening. The men’s distance crew was led by sophomore Isaac Stanford (Flora, Ill.) who headed a group of VU runners in the 800 meters with a time of 1:53.22, good for fourth overall.

VU Track and Field adds more National Qualifiers after busy weekend at Little State
VU Track and Field adds more National Qualifiers after busy weekend at Little State

MARION, Ind. – The Vincennes University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams put together another great weekend at the 2024 Indiana Little State Championships hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University. The busy weekend actually got started on Thursday when VU sophomore and 2024 Indoor Heptathlon National Champion Olegs Kozjakovs made the short trip up to Terre Haute to take part in a two-day Decathlon at the 2024 Gibson Invitational. Kozjakovs had a great showing in the events, competing against NCAA Division I athletes, taking the top spot in the shot put, discus and pole vault events to claim the top spot in the Decathlon with a total of 6,778 points.

Trailblazer throwers shine at Jim Vargo Invitational
Trailblazer throwers shine at Jim Vargo Invitational

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Vincennes University men’s and women’s Track and Field teams were back in action Friday at the 2024 Jim Vargo Invitational hosted by Bellarmine University in Louisville. The VU throwers stole the show for the Blue and Gold at Friday’s meet, led by sophomore Madison Davis who had the best finish of the meet by taking second place in the shot put with a throw of 12.17 meters. Davis also completed the daily double by taking 15th overall in the discus with a best throw of 31.13 meters.

Trailblazer Track and Field back in action with busy outdoor season opener weekend
Trailblazer Track and Field back in action with busy outdoor season opener weekend

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Vincennes University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams headed outside for the first time this season and split the squad between two different meets. Members of the VU Track team headed to St. Louis, Mo. to take part in the WashU Distance Carnival hosted by Washington University of St. Louis Friday, while the rest of the VU Track teams headed to Charleston, Ill. for the two-day EIU Big Blue Invitational hosted by Eastern Illinois University Friday and Saturday. The WashU Distance Carnival crew was headed by sophomore Isaac Stanford (Flora, Ill.) who placed eighth in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:53.43.

Pole Vaulters shine in Indoor regular season finale at ISU Open
Pole Vaulters shine in Indoor regular season finale at ISU Open

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Vincennes University men’s and women’s Indoor Track and Field teams closed out the 2024 Indoor regular season Saturday at the Indiana State University Open in Terre Haute. VU pole vaulters, sophomore Olegs Kozjakovs and freshman Sophia Armaral stole the show for the Trailblazer teams, with Kozjakovs placing second after clearing a height of 4.81 meters and Armaral taking the top spot on the women’s side with a mark of 4.01 meters. Sophia’s sister and 2023 Indoor Pole Vault National Champion sophomore Julia Armaral also had a good showing, placing ninth with a best of 3.26 meters.

Jordan sets school record at GVSU Big Meet
Jordan sets school record at GVSU Big Meet

ALLENDALE, Mich. – VU sophomore sprinter Desroy Jordan has already earned several spots in the Trailblazers Track and Field record books, now holding five school records after setting a program best time in the 600 meters Friday at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet in Michigan. Jordan was a member of the Indoor 4x800 and DMR relay teams that set school records last year and set two individual school records during the 2023 Outdoor season in the 200 meters and 400 meters. Jordan’s performance was a highlight of a very busy weekend which saw the Blazers add four more National qualifiers.

Vincennes Track and Field continues to add qualifiers after split meet weekend
Vincennes Track and Field continues to add qualifiers after split meet weekend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and Marion, Ind. – The Vincennes University Indoor Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams decided to adopt a strategy of divide and conquer this past weekend, with men’s sprinters and field athletes heading to Louisville for the PNC Bellarmine Classic Friday and men’s and women’s distance runners taking part in the Indiana Wesleyan University Midwest Classic in Marion on Saturday. The Trailblazers added more National qualifiers over the weekend and look to be really close to adding a few more as the Indoor season continues. Friday, members of the VU men’s team headed back to Louisville, Ky. to take part in the PNC Bellarmine Classic and once again found some very tough competition, competing against 16 NCAA Division I programs.

VU Track and Field takes center stage against tough competition at PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational
VU Track and Field takes center stage against tough competition at PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Vincennes University Track and Field teams once again found themselves as one of the only two-year programs competing in a meet this weekend, heading to Louisville, Ky. to take part in the 2024 PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational hosted by the University of Louisville. The Blazers were up against several NCAA Division I programs, including athletes from Purdue University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Florida State University, Texas Tech University and host University of Louisville. Tough competition aside, the Trailblazers again more than held their own highlighted by five top-10 event finishes.

VU Track and Field off to hot start after EIU John Craft Invite
VU Track and Field off to hot start after EIU John Craft Invite

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Vincennes University men’s and women’s Track and Field teams hit the track for the first time in the 2024 Indoor season Saturday, competing in the John Craft Invite hosted by Eastern Illinois University. The Trailblazers were competing against several NCAA Division I programs and were able to come away with five event victories on the day. The VU men’s team was led by two, one-two finishes on the track, starting with freshmen Tumani Skinner and Olamipo Ladipo in the 200 meters with Skinner taking the top spot at 23 seconds and Ladipo crossing at 23.18 seconds.