Trailblazer Track and Field back in action with strong showing at Little State Championships
MARION, Ind. – The Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field teams were back in action after most of last weekend's meet was cancelled due to weather.
The Trailblazers looked impressive over the weekend at the 120th annual Indiana Little State Championships hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, coming away with three event victories on the weekend.
The VU Men's results were led off by freshman Anis Abdaoui (Kairouan, Tunisia) who came away with the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 1:52.78.
Abdaoui was joined in this event by teammates freshman Kelvin Kipsang (Kapsabet, Kenya) and freshman Dakoda Greci (Danville, Ind.), with Kipsang placing 31st overall at 1:59.54 and Greci taking 64th overall at 2:09.89.
The second VU Men's event winner on the weekend was freshman Tremayne Brown (Anderson, Ind.) who came away with the top spot in the high jump, clearing a height of 2.10 meters.
The Trailblazer sprinters were led by a second place finish in the 400 meter dash by sophomore Malik Ferdinand (Kingstown, S. Vincent and the Grenadines) with a time of 48.59 seconds.
Ferdinand was joined by freshmen teammates Isaiah Ervin (French Lick, Ind.) and ArTezz Butler-Sanders (Indianapolis, Ind.) with Ervin taking 12th at 50.46 seconds and Butler-Sanders posting a time of 51.59 seconds to take 24th overall.
Sophomore Olamipo Ladipo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) led the Blazers in the 200 meters with a time of 21.44 seconds, with Ferdinand placing 13th at 22.06 seconds, freshman Marshawn Bradley (Dyer, Ind.) taking 82nd overall at 24.54 and freshman Aaden Mapp (Indianapolis, Ind.) placing 85th overall with a time of 24.55 seconds.
The VU men's sprinter results were rounded out in the 100 meter sprint with freshman Devin Wilson (Indianapolis, Ind.) taking 37th overall with a time of 11.39 seconds.
Freshman Karmiel Williams (Jasper, Ind.) placed 44th overall at 11.57 seconds, Marshawn Bradley placed 55th at 11.84 seconds, Mapp placed 58th at 11.88 seconds and freshman Bryce Peak (Brownstown, Ind.) placed 60th with a time of 12.07 seconds.
The Trailblazer men's distance results continued over the weekend with sophomore Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill.) placing 17th in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:06.91, with Dakoda Greci placing 40th at 4:30.79.
Freshman Jeremy Mendez (Velpen, Ind.) took home 27th place overall in the 5000 meters with a time of 16:26.46 and sophomore Nathan Whitehead (Vincennes, Ind.) taking 31st overall with a time of 16:38.24.
The Vincennes distance results were rounded out by an impressive showing Friday in the 10,000 meters with sophomore Cody Noel (Hebron, Ind.) leading the charge to take sixth overall with a time of 32:40.62.
Jeremy Mendez would place 14th in the 10,000 meters as well with a time of 33:35.19 and Freshman Lane Connaway (Carmi, Ill.) placed 21st with a time of 34:21.63.
Sophomore Caden Hostetler (LaGrange, Ind.) would place seventh in the 3000 meter steeplechase by posting a time of 10:00.96.
Freshman Anthony Keene (Harrisburg, Ill.) placed 10th in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.93 seconds and sophomore Zion Pruitt (Avon, Ind.) placed 14th in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 57.57 seconds.
The VU Track results were rounded out with the Men's relay results, with the Trailblazers taking seventh in the 4x100 relay at 42.86 seconds, fourth in the 4x400 relay at 3:23.28 and sixth in the 4x800 relay at 8:03.77.
Anthony Keene kept his busy weekend going in the field events by taking third in the triple jump with a distance of 13.64 meters, while freshman Chase Guthrie (Indianapolis, Ind.) placed 17th at 11.70 meters.
Guthrie would go on to take fifth in the long jump with a best jump of 6.64 meters.
Sophomore Maliek Bush (Jeffersonville, Ind.) placed 11th in the javelin with a best throw of 42.51 meters.
The VU Men's results were rounded out by a busy throwing weekend by freshman Cayden Gasser (Delphi, Ind.).
Gasser would compete in four events over the weekend, taking 15th in the javelin with a throw of 40.34 meters, 33rd in the discus at 35.54 meters, 38th in the shot put at 10.62 meters and 48th in the hammer throw with a best throw of 25.95 meters.
The VU Men's Team overall came away with 58 points on the weekend, good for sixth place as a team out of 18 scoring teams.
"We had a few events Friday, with most competing on Saturday," VU Interim Head Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. "Anthony was the highlight of the field events with a new PR of 13.46 meters in his first triple jump of the year. He has a lot of room for improvement in the event."
"In the men's 10k, all three runners ran very even races and ended up with new PRs," Steigenga added. "Cody moved up to seventh overall in school history. Jeremy ran 16:45 for the first half, which also happened to be what he ran for 5k two weeks ago, albeit in a very windy race. He ran the second half just five seconds slower, capping off a great 10k debut. Lane ran over two minutes faster than two weeks ago in his debut."
"Saturday started off with a little less wind and a little more sun," Steigenga said. "Caden was the first PR of the day, running eight seconds faster than his best race last year in the 3000m steeplechase."
"In the men's 1500, Dakoda won his heat and came away with a new PR," Steigenga added. "In the 400 meters, Malik had a good season opener, finishing a half second off his best. Isaiah and ArTezz both PRed by over a second in the fourth heat, with Isaiah taking the heat win. Olamipo ran his fastest season opener in the 200 meters."
"Anis got the overall win in the 800 meters while picking up a small PR," Steigenga said. "Kelvin also had a small PR, getting under the two minute barrier for the first time."
"Tremayne had a big day in the high jump," Steigenga added. "After having his best practice week of the year, he came out of the meet with the win and a new PR of 2.10 meters. It currently has him ranked eighth in school history and second in the NJCAA."
"Zion ran 2.5 seconds faster than two weeks ago in the 400 hurdles and came away with a new PR," Steigenga said. "In the men's 5k both Jeremy and Nathan came away with new PRs. Jeremy was particularly impressive, coming off a great 10k debut Friday. The men's 4x400 relay wrapped up the meet with solid legs from Isaiah, Zion, Anis and Kelvin all doubling back from their individual events earlier in the meet."
The Trailblazer Women's team was led by sophomore and three-time defending National Champion Sophia Salvi (Sao Paulo, Brazil) who came away with the event win in the pole vault after clearing a height of 3.85 meters.
On the track, the Trailblazers were led by sophomore Adi Fuller (Evansville, Ind.) who placed seventh in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 12:39.07.
Freshman Sara Belgacem (Tunis Tunisia) placed ninth in the 800 meters at 2:21.71 and freshman Zoe Allen (Anderson, Ind.) took ninth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.61 seconds.
Allen would also go on to take 11th in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:09.18.
The VU Women's team also got strong showings out of the relay teams, taking fifth in the 4x800 relay at 10:03.68 and eighth in the 4x400 relay at 4:31.58.
The Trailblazer Women's Track results were rounded out by freshman Milaja Vaughn who placed 21st in the 100 meter sprint at 13.13 seconds, freshman Allie Black (Lynn, Ind.) taking 21st in the 5000 meters at 23:14.67 and freshman Alexis Hale (Evansville, Ind.) placing 22nd in the 1500 meters at 5:22.70.
Freshman Tamia Taylor (Vincennes, Ind.) led the VU Women's throwers over the weekend, taking 35th in the shot put at 8.48 meters, 36th in the discus at 22.65 meters and 40th in the hammer throw at 27.28 meters.
The Trailblazer weekend was closed out by freshman Braylee McKinnon (Linton, Ind.) who placed 36th in the shot put with a throw of 7.32 meters and 46th in the hammer throw with a best throw of 15.22 meters.
The VU Women's team placed 13th overall as a team after collecting 17 points on the weekend.
"Zoe had a solid hurdle double and came away from the meet being ranked in the top ten in school history in both the 100 and 400 hurdles," Steigenga said. "Sophia opened up her outdoor season with a win in the pole vault as well."
The Trailblazers will look to keep this momentum going as they get set for another big weekend of competition, heading to Indiana State University for the three day ISU Gibson Invitational.
This meet is set to begin Thursday, April 17 and run through Saturday, April 19.
"It was awesome to finally get the whole team competing at a meet, especially after the meet cancellation last weekend," Steigenga added. "We put up some solid marks that will help us nationally and get us to where we want to be later in the season. This is always a really fun meet but it really took a step up in competition this year across the board and was a great experience for the athletes."
VINCENNES RESULTS
MEN'S RESULTS
VU – 6th, 58 points
100m
Devin Wilson – 37, 11.39
Karmiel Williams – 44, 11.57
Marshawn Bradley – 55, 11.84
Aaden Mapp – 58, 11.88
Bryce Peak – 60, 12.07
200m
Olamipo Ladipo – 4, 21.44
Malik Ferdinand – 13, 22.06
Marshawn Bradley – 82, 24.54
Aaden Mapp – 85, 24.55
400m
Malik Ferdinand – 2, 48.59
Isaiah Ervin – 12, 50.46
ArTezz Butler-Sanders – 24, 51.59
800m
Anis Abdaoui – 1, 1:52.78
Kelvin Kipsang – 31, 1:59.54
Dakoda Greci – 64, 2:09.89
1500m
Tanner Spence – 17, 4:06.91
Dakoda Greci – 40, 4:30.79
5000m
Jeremy Mendez – 27, 16:26.46
Nathan Whitehead – 31, 16:38.24
10000m
Cody Noel – 6, 32:40.62
Jeremy Mendez – 14, 33:35.19
Lane Connaway – 21, 34:21.63
110 Hurdles
Anthony Keene – 10, 15.93
400 Hurdles
Zion Pruitt – 14, 57.57
3000m Steeplechase
Caden Hostetler – 7, 10:00.96
4x100 Relay
VU – 7, 42.86
4x400 Relay
VU – 4, 3:23.28
4x800 Relay
VU – 6, 8:03.77
High Jump
Tremayne Brown – 1, 2.10m
Long Jump
Chase Guthrie – 5, 6.64m
Triple Jump
Anthony Keene – 3, 13.64m
Chase Guthrie – 17, 11.70m
Shot Put
Cayden Gasser – 38, 10.62m
Discus
Cayden Gasser – 33, 35.54m
Hammer
Cayden Gasser – 48, 25.95m
Javelin
Maliek Bush – 11, 42.51m
Cayden Gasser – 15, 40.34m
WOMEN'S RESULTS
VU – 13th, 17 points
100m
Milaja Vaughn – 21, 13.13
800m
Sara Belgacem – 9, 2:21.71
1500m
Alexis Hale – 22, 5:22.70
5000m
Allie Black – 21, 23:14.67
100 Hurdles
Zoe Allen – 9, 15.61
400 Hurdles
Zoe Allen – 11, 1:09.18
3000m Steeplechase
Adi Fuller – 7, 12:39.07
4x400 Relay
VU – 8, 4:31.58
4x800 Relay
VU – 5, 10:03.68
Pole Vault
Sophia Salvi – 1, 3.85m
Shot Put
Tamia Taylor – 35, 8.48m
Braylee McKinnon – 36, 7.32m
Discus
Tamia Taylor – 36, 22.65m
Hammer
Tamia Taylor – 40, 27.78m
Braylee McKinnon – 46, 15.22m