Trailblazer Track and Field continues to improve after weekend meets

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. and INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field teams took part in a pair of meets over the weekend, in hopes to continue to improve and get closer to the qualifying mark in several events.

The weekend started with the Hoosier Hills Classic hosted by Indiana University on Friday.

The No. 23-ranked VU Men's team was led Friday by the Distance Medley Relay team of Manamanya Opiew (Indianapolis, Ind.), Trenton Faulkner (Vincennes, Ind.), Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Mathew Keitany (Kenya), who placed third with a time of 10:50.41.

Freshman Jalen Bowman (Evansville, Ind.) came away with a podium spot, placing sixth in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.96 seconds.

Sophomore Kyle Stewart (Evansville, Ind.) also came away with a top-eight finish, placing seventh in the long jump with a distance of 6.78 meters.

Freshman Yamar Lyons (Kalamazoo, Mich.) just missed the podium but came away with a ninth place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 52.72 seconds.

The Vincennes women's DMR team also held their own against some tough competition Friday.

The team of Kaitlyn Koenig, Chloe Knepp (Montgomery, Ind.), Brittany Page (Bicknell, Ind.) and Kyra Young (South Bend, Ind.) placed third with a time of 14:20.14.

Page would also come away with an eighth place finish in the 800 meters at 2:39.85 and Knepp placed ninth in the 400 meters at 1:01.05.

The VU athletes got to compete against some familiar faces Friday in Bloomington as former Trailblazers Ryan Golliher (Indiana State) and Anthony Campbell (UW-Milwaukee) were also in attendance.

Golliher placed fourth in the weight throw and Campbell placed fifth in the long jump for their respective schools.

"The highlight of the day Friday was Chloe and Yamar both setting personal bests in the 400 by over two seconds," VU Track and Field Coach Marty Rogier said. "Jalen made the finals in the 60 and posted a quick time of 6.96. Kyle struggled to get on the board in the long jump. He felt he had a disappointing seventh place finish in an event he felt he should have won."

Saturday some of the VU athletes took the trip up to Indianapolis to take part in the Gerry England Invitational.

Vincennes dominated the men's 800 meter race with three of the top four finishers.

Mathew Keitany paced the field to take the top spot at 2:00.34, just a fraction of a second ahead of teammate Manamanya Opiew at 2:00.58.

Trenton Faulkner would take fourth a second later at 2:02.16.

Keitany would also come away with a second-place finish in the men's mile, ending with a time of 4:25.74.

"The distance runner had a very good day Saturday," Rogier added. "Mathew set a new PR and was 0.2 seconds off qualifying for Nationals in the mile."

"Mathew, Manny and Trenton went 1-2-4 in the 800 and ran a very smooth race," Rogier said. "Hope Laughlin (Olney, Ill.) ran a very competitive race in the 800 and Reed Lawless (Valparaiso, Ind.) capped off the day with a well planned race in the 3000. He finished 19th in a very fast paced race. Mason Harmes (Borden, Ind.) set a new PR again in both the weight throw and the shot put. He keeps improving every week."

The VU Track and Field teams will be in action again next weekend when the Blazers head up north to take part in the ISU Open hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Saturday, Feb. 19.

VINCENNES RESULTS

FRIDAY

MEN'S RESULTS

Long Jump

Kyle Stewart – 7, 6.78

60m

Jalen Bowman- 6, 6.96

400m

Yamar Lyons – 9, 52.72

DMR

Opiew, Faulkner, Momodu, Keitany – 3, 10:50.41

WOMEN'S RESULTS

400m

Chloe Knepp – 9, 1:01.05

800m

Brittany Page – 8, 2:39.85

DMR

Koenig, Knepp, Page, Young – 3, 14:20.14

SATURDAY RESULTS

MEN'S

800m

Mathew Keitany – 1, 2:00.34

Manamanya Opiew – 2, 2:00.58

Trenton Faulkner – 4, 2:02.16

Mile

Mathew Keitany – 2, 4:25.74