Trailblazers Continue Building Momentum at PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field teams continued the indoor season Friday at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville, competing in their second meet of the year against a strong field that included multiple NCAA Division I programs.
The men's sprint group once again set the tone, led by sophomore Devin Wilson, who captured first place overall in the 60 meters with a personal-best time of 6.96, a mark that ranks 10th in school history. First-year Head Coach Michael Mangan pointed to Wilson's consistency at the front of the lineup, noting, "Devin proved today that last week wasn't a fluke as he captured the 60 meters and led off the 4x400."
That momentum carried directly into the closing event of the meet, as Wilson returned to lead off the men's 4x400 relay alongside sophomore Artezz Butler-Sanders, freshman Jacob Kusbel, and freshman Travon Lane. The quartet claimed first place with a winning time of 3:21.75, delivering one of the defining moments of the meet as all four legs contributed to the victory. Mangan emphasized the significance of the finish, saying, "As the track quote says, there's a reason they run the 4x400 last. The team spirit from the rest of the squad was noticeable throughout the event."
Lane added an indoor personal best in the 400 meters, finishing 4th overall in 50.62, while freshman James Howard recorded a personal best in the 200 meters, placing 14th with a time of 23.40.
In the distance events, freshman Evan Dailey posted a personal best in the 5,000 meters, finishing 8th overall in 16:32.69, and sophomore Anis Abdaoui continued his strong early season with a national qualifying performance in the 800 meters, finishing 4th overall in 1:53.88. Kusbel also recorded a personal best in the event, winning his heat and finishing 18th overall in 2:00.61. Freshman Brody Wilson added an eight-second personal best in the one mile, continuing the group's progress in the early indoor season.
In the field events, the men continued to show steady progress, particularly in the pole vault and throws. Freshman Wade Wickham finished fourth overall in the pole vault, clearing 3.95 meters, marking one of his strongest performances since returning from injury. In the throws, freshman Nate Robertson placed fourth overall in the shot put with a mark of 11.83 meters and added a 10th-place finish in the weight throw at 13.22 meters, while freshman Jesse Huff finished 13th with a mark of 11.16 meters and freshman Zackary Hembree placed 14th at 10.72 meters — all three recording personal-best performances in the weight throw.
On the women's side, the distance and middle-distance groups continued to show growth as the indoor season progresses. In the one mile, freshman Ikram Dorai highlighted the meet, delivering a school-record and national qualifying performance, finishing seventh with a time of 5:08.57, while sophomore Sarra Belgacem placed 12th in 5:19.88. Freshman Amani Aloui followed in 16th with a time of 5:22.09, which now ranks eighth in program history. Sophomore Alexis Hale added a 24th-place finish with a time of 5:33.70, marking a seven-second personal best, and freshman Madison Senne recorded a 38th-place finish with a personal-best time of 5:51.52.
The women's 800 meters further showcased the group's depth, as Dorai, Belgacem, Aloui, and Senne combined to achieve the 4x800 relay national qualifying standard. Dorai finished eighth in 2:23.49, a personal best that now ranks seventh in program history, while Belgacem placed 12th with a personal-best time of 2:25.78, and Aloui finished 14th in 2:28.21, also a personal best. Senne's time from last week's meet was used toward the composite qualifying mark.
Personal-best efforts highlighted the women's sprint events, as freshman Olivia Chambers-Greer and freshman Cinnamon Harris each posted season-best times in both races. Chambers-Greer placed 23rd in the 60 meters at 9.07 and 32nd in the 200 meters at 30.17, while Harris finished 26th in the 60 meters with a time of 9.93 and 35th in the 200 meters at 33.86.
In the throws, freshman Elena Gabellini delivered a strong showing for the Trailblazers, placing third overall in the shot put with a mark of 9.71 meters and adding a 10th-place finish in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 11.38 meters.
In the field events, the pole vault group remained a strength for the Trailblazers. Freshman Kapri Granger placed third overall, clearing 3.41 meters for a personal best and national qualifying mark, while freshman McKenna Poyser finished sixth with a clearance of 3.11 meters, also a personal best and national qualifier. Mangan praised Poyser's continued rise, saying, "So proud of McKenna as she is vaulting nearly two feet above her high school best to become our second female national qualifier."
Reflecting on the meet as a whole, Mangan noted the team's progression from week one to week two, stating, "Throughout this meet, you could really see us catching our stride."
The Trailblazers return to action next weekend at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational, hosted by the University of Louisville at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville, Ky., on January 30–31.
Join the Journey
As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field squads all year long through a number of ways:
- X (formerly Twitter): @VUTrailblazers
- Facebook: Vincennes University Athletics
- Instagram: @VincennesUTrailblazers | @vincennesxctf
- Youtube (live & on demand content): BlazerVision
- Website: https://govutrailblazers.com
