Trailblazers Track and Field continues Nationals tune up at Billy Hayes Invitational

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Members of the Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field teams took part in another opportunity to surpass the NJCAA National Qualifying mark at Friday's Billy Hayes Invitational hosted by Indiana University.

The VU men's team was led by sophomore Kyle Stewart (Evansville, Ind.), who took the top spot in the long jump with a jump of 7.21 meters.

Vincennes came away with second and third in the 4x400 meter relay, with the team of freshmen Yamar Lyons (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Collin Sutton (New Albany, Ind.) and Jalen Bowman (Evansville, Ind.) and sophomore Manamanya Opiew (Indianapolis, Ind.) taking second with a time of 3:23.22.

The team of sophomores Damien Ross (East St. Louis, Ill.) and Trenton Faulkner (Vincennes, Ind.) and freshmen Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Mathew Keitany (Kenya) finished third at 3:41.41.

Faulkner, Opiew and Momodu all took part in the 800 meter race, with Faulkner leading the group with a fourth-place finish at 1:57.57. Opiew followed close behind at 1:58.19 and Momodu took 10th at 2:02.94.

Mathew Keitany had an impressive showing in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Keitany finished third with a time of 9:18.44.

The VU 4x100 relay team of Bowman, Sutton, Ross and Stewart finished fourth at 42.15 seconds and Bowman placed fifth in the 200 meter dash at 21.95 seconds.

Freshman Nicholas Stanislaus (Grenada) placed fourth in the Javelin with a longest throw of 41.54 meters.

Sophomore Ian Boit (Eldoret, Kenya) rounded out the VU men's team results with a seventh place finish in the 3000 meter race, finishing with a time of 9:07.78.

The VU Women's team also had a good showing Friday afternoon, led by freshman Giorgia Fino (Italy) who placed sixth in the Javelin at 35.24 meters.

Freshman Brittany Page (Bicknell, Ind.) finished seventh in the 800 meters at 2:31.52 and sophomore Kyra Young placed ninth in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:58.38.

"Ian started off the action of the day with a two second PR in the 3000 meters," VU Assistant Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. "Kyra Young ran a great race, dipping under the five minute barrier in the 1500 for the first time this season with a small PR."

"After an hour long weather delay, the 800s started back with Trenton winning his heat with a new PR," Steigenga added. "I was very proud of Trenton. This outdoor season has been a struggle at times with an ankle injury, but he has continued to fight through it and was rewarded with a great race."

"Mathew had a fantastic race in the steeple," Steigenga said. "He ran the second fastest time in program history and his time puts him seventh in the NJCAA DI this season. Mathew ran a fantastic race and is so fun to watch and keeps getting faster. This was only his second steeple. Being new to the event, he has got a lot of small things he can improve on for the next time he runs."

"Kyle Stewart did a great job winning the long jump and getting over the National Qualifier mark for the second time this outdoor season," Steigenga added.

The Trailblazers continue to stay competition ready ahead of the NJCAA Division I National Outdoor Championships, hosted by Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.

The three day event will begin Thursday, May 19 and run through Saturday, May 21.

VINCENNES RESULTS

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

MEN'S RESULTS

200m

Jalen Bowman – 5, 21.95

800m

Trenton Faulkner – 4, 1:57.57

Manamanya Opiew – 6, 1:58.19

Ernest Momodu – 10, 2:02.94

3000m

Ian Boit – 7, 9:07.78

3000 Steeplechase

Mathew Keitany – 3, 9:18.44

Javelin

Nicholas Stanislaus – 4, 41.54m

Long Jump

Kyle Stewart – 1, 7.21m

4x100 Relay

(Bowman, Sutton, Ross, Stewart) – 4, 42.15

4x400 Relay

(Lyons, Sutton, Opiew, Bowman) – 2, 3:23.22

(Ross, Faulkner, Momodu, Keitany) – 3, 3:41.41

WOMEN'S RESULTS

800m

Brittany Page – 7, 2:31.52

1500m

Kyra Young – 9, 4:58.38

Javelin

Giorgia Fino – 6, 35.24m