VU Track and Field cap off busy weekend with three event wins at Little State Championships

MARION, Ind. – The Vincennes University Track and Field teams had a busy weekend, ending with the Indiana Little State Championships hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion.

VU freshmen Jalen Bowman (Evansville, Ind.) and Giorgia Fino (Italy) and sophomore Kyle Stewart (Evansville, Ind.) all took home the top spot in their various events throughout the two-day meet.

The weekend actually began at an entirely different track meet, with VU freshman Nicholas Stanislaus (Grenada) making the short trip up US 41 to Indiana State University to take part in the decathlon at the Gibson Invitational Thursday and Friday.

Stanislaus had a good showing overall, coming away with a second-place finish and racking up 5,655 points in the process.

Stanislaus joined the rest of his teammates in Marion following his final event Friday, as he saw the VU Men's Track and Field team be led by Jalen Bowman and Kyle Stewart.

Bowman took home first place in the 100 meter sprint, ending with a time of 10.62 seconds.

Stewart came away with the top spot in the long jump after his longest jump of 7.33 meters.

Bowman and Stewart would team up in the 4x100 relay along with sophomore Damien Ross (East St. Louis, Ill.) and freshman Collin Sutton (New Albany, Ind.) to place third with a time of 41.85 seconds.

Bowman and Sutton would then move on to the 4x400 relay with sophomore Manamanya Opiew (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman Yamar Lyons (Kalamazoo, Mich.) where VU placed second with a time of 3:21.82.

Opiew and the 4x800 relay team of sophomore Trenton Faulkner (Vincennes, Ind.) and freshmen Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Mathew Keitany (Kenya) came away with a fourth-place finish with a time of 7:56.87.

Keitany also competed in the 800 meters and 3000 meter steeplechase, taking second in the steeplechase at 9:38.53 and fifth in the 800 at 1:54.17.

The VU men's team finished seventh as a team.

"Nicholas got things started on Thursday and Friday with the Decathlon at Indiana State," VU Assistant Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. "His score of 5655 currently has him 6th among NJCAA Division I athletes."

"Mathew began Saturday with a second place finish in the steeple," Steigenga added. "His time is good for fourth overall in VU history and places him 12th in the NJCAA. I was very impressed with Mathew's race. It was his first steeple of the season, so he didn't have a time to qualify him for the faster heat. As a result, he had to lead his entire race and ended up beating all but one competitor's time from the final heat."

"Jalen Bowman got the win in the 100 as he ran a 10.62, edging out his opponent by a hundredth of a second," Steigenga said. "Mathew added to his success from earlier in the meet by winning his heat in the 800 and placing fifth overall and qualifying for Nationals at 1:54.17. Today was the most focused and determined I have seen Mathew in a race. He's come a long way this year and I'm excited to see how it finishes."

The VU women's team was led by freshman javelin thrower Giorgia Fino (Italy) who had another impressive day, taking home the top spot with her longest throw of 40.62 meters.

The Vincennes women's 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams each came away with eighth-place finishes, with the 4x400 team consisting of sophomores Asia McLemore (Michigan City, Ind.), Chloe Knepp (Montgomery, Ind.) and Kaitlyn Koenig (Terre Haute, Ind.), as well as freshman Brittany Page (Bicknell, Ind.) and recording a time of 4:24.87.

Freshman Hope Laughlin (Olney, Ill.) joined Knepp, Young and Page in the 4x800 relay, finishing with a time of 10:29.55.

The VU women's team placed 11th as a team.

"Giorgia capped off the first day in the javelin with a win," Steigenga added. "She had the three furthest throws of the competition and bettered her school record by almost three meters. She is currently ranked fourth in the NJCAA."

"I was really excited by the relays," VU Head Track and Field Coach Marty Rogier said. "We competed very hard and it was wonderful to see us rally as a team and just get after it."

The Trailblazer Track and Field teams will look to continue their strong season into their final tune up before the NJCAA National Championships at the Sycamore Open Saturday, April 30, hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.

"Overall, it was just an incredible weekend," Rogier added. "These kids have endured the worst weather and battled injuries all season. It was just fun to see their true potential when given a chance with good weather and great competition. It was a fabulous meet with wonderful facilities. Hats off to Indiana Wesleyan and their staff for being great hosts."

VINCENNES RESULTS

MEN'S RESULTS

GIBSON INVITATIONAL

Decathlon

Nicholas Stanislaus – 2 (5655 pts.)

LITTLE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

100m

Jalen Bowman – 1 (10.62)

800m

Mathew Keitany – 5 (1:54.17)

3000 Steeplechase

Mathew Keitany – 2 (9:38.53)

4x100 Relay

(Ross, Stewart, Sutton, Bowman) – 3 (41.85)

4x400 Relay

(Bowman, Lyons, Sutton, Opiew) – 2 (3:21.82)

4x800 Relay

(Opiew, Faulkner, Momodu, Keitany) – 4 (7:56.87)

Long Jump

Kyle Stewart – 1 (7.33m)

WOMEN'S RESULTS

4x400 Relay

(Knepp, Koenig, Page, McLemore) – 8 (4:24.87)

4x800 Relay

(Knepp, Young, Page, Laughlin) – 8 (10:29.55)

Javelin

Giorgia Fino – 1 (40.62m)