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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Open Outdoor Season with Strong Performances at WashU, Vargo

Trailblazers Open Outdoor Season with Strong Performances at WashU, Vargo
Results Results
March 28, 2026

ST. LOUIS, Mo. / LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Vincennes University Men's and Women's Track and Field opened the outdoor season with a strong weekend across two meets, competing at the Washington University Distance Carnival on March 27 and the Jim Vargo Invitational at Bellarmine University on March 28. The Trailblazers recorded multiple personal bests, school records and national qualifying marks to begin the outdoor campaign.

First-year Head Coach Michael Mangan praised the group's performance across both meets. "This was a great way to open the outdoor season," Mangan said. "We saw strong performances across multiple event groups and a lot of encouraging early-season progress."

Distance Coach Tyler Steigenga echoed those sentiments, while highlighting the distance group's impact in St. Louis. "The distance group really took advantage of the opportunity at WashU," Steigenga said. "We had great conditions and some big races, setting the tone for the weekend right away."

Men

The distance group set the tone in St. Louis with a historic sequence in the 5000 meters. Sophomore Anis Abdaoui opened the event by winning his heat in 14:39.93, setting a new school record and earning a national qualifying mark. Freshman Iheb Slimani followed in a later heat and raised the standard even further, running 14:10.83 to break Abdaoui's newly set record by nearly 30 seconds while posting the fastest time in the NJCAA this season and another national qualifier.

"Anis set the tone with a great race, and then Iheb took it to another level," Mangan said. "To have both of them move into the top two spots in program history in the same meet was special."

Steigenga emphasized the significance of the moment for the program. "You don't see a school record fall twice in the same meet very often," Steigenga said. "That shows the level those two are competing at right now."

At the Jim Vargo Invitational, freshman Evan Dailey continued the momentum in the distance events, recording a personal-best 16:02.84 in the 5000 meters. "Evan continues to make steady progress," Steigenga said. "He's putting together consistent races and building confidence each time out."

In the field events, freshman Nate Robertson recorded a 47.11 meters in the hammer throw, ranking 10th in program history, while freshman Jesus Castillo added a personal-best 12.20 meters in the shot put. Freshman Marshawn Bradley also posted a personal-best 5.46 meters in the long jump, adding to a strong showing from the field group. Mangan noted the continued development across the event group. "Our field athletes are continuing to develop and compete well," Mangan said. "It's great to see that progress early in the outdoor season."

Women

The women's distance group also delivered a strong opening performance in St. Louis. Freshman Ikram Dorai finished third overall in the 10,000 meters (35:04.71), setting a school record and national-leading mark. Freshman Elizabeth Smith added a 38:29.21 in the 10,000 meters, moving to third in program history and earning a national qualifying mark. Steigenga credited the group's approach in the race. "Ikram did a great job staying with the lead pack and closing strong," Steigenga said. "She continues to show she can compete at a high level, and Liz also had a strong effort in her race."

At the Jim Vargo Invitational, the Trailblazers saw continued progress across events. Sophomore Alexis Hale recorded a personal-best 5:15.51 in the 1500 meters, while freshman Cinnamon Harris added a personal-best 32.17 in the 200 meters. "We're seeing good progression across the board," Mangan said. "Those early-season personal bests are a great sign of where this group is headed."

In the field events, freshman Elena Gabellini delivered a standout performance with a 48.46 meters in the hammer throw, a personal best and national qualifying mark that ranks fourth in program history, while also adding a personal-best 9.85 meters in the shot put. "Elena continues to improve each time out," Mangan said. "She's putting together some strong marks early in the season."

Freshman Kapri Granger added marks of 3.37 meters in the pole vault and 4.73 meters in the long jump, both ranking 10th in program history, while also achieving a national qualifying standard. Freshman Greer Hardin recorded a third-place finish in the high jump with a clearance of 1.50 meters, moving to seventh in program history.

Mangan highlighted the overall depth of the group. "We're getting contributions across multiple areas," Mangan said. "That kind of depth is exactly what you want to see at this point in the season."

Following the opening weekend, the Trailblazers will continue the outdoor season April 3–4 at the Pacesetter Sports Invitational, hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.

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: