CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah competed in multiple events this weekend at the Ron Mann Classic in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the UW Invite in Seattle, Washington. Southern Utah turned in quality results and continued to build on a strong start to the season.
Head Coach Eric Houle Said
"It was an outstanding weekend for both the men's and women's track and field teams. The University of Washington and Northern Arizona gave the athletes opportunities to improve on their previous performances. It's essential to their overall development and competitive experience. This weekend was a perfect example. It paid off."
Ron Mann Classic
Results of the Ron Mann Classic can be found here.
UW Invite
Results of the UW Invite can be found here.
Men's Recap and Results
Southern Utah's men continued to stack strong performances across both days of competition, highlighted by depth and personal-best efforts in the distance and middle-distance events. In the 3,000 meters, Amit Cohen led the way with a personal record 8:19.87, followed closely by Ezra Nelson (8:21.20) and Josh Hernandez (8:36.14), as all three turned in PRs. The mile also saw a strong showing, with Richard Crane running a personal-best 4:09, Tyler Saunders close behind at 4:11, Cohen adding another PR at 4:18, and Hernandez finishing in 4:24. In the 800 meters, Kadan Allen posted a standout personal-best 1:50.65, ranking No. 3 all-time in program history, while Saunders recorded the No. 10 all-time mark at 1:52.36 and Crane added a collegiate PR of 1:54.59.
The Thunderbirds also excelled in the sprints and relays, with the 4x400-meter relay capturing first place and moving to No. 3 all-time in SUU indoor history while earning the top ranking in the WAC. Ashton Miller added a runner-up finish in the 200 meters, a performance that elevated him to fifth in the WAC despite altitude conversion. Matthew Hayes continued his strong season with a significant personal best in the 400 meters, moving him to fifth in the WAC rankings, as Southern Utah's underclassmen-heavy roster continued to show rapid development across multiple events.
Women's Recap and Results
Southern Utah's women delivered an impressive showing in the distance events, highlighted by personal records and historic marks in the 3,000 meters. Bella Evans clocked a PR of 9:40.22, moving her to No. 8 on the program's all-time list, while Aspen Hacker impressed in her collegiate debut with a personal-best 9:52.57, the fastest freshman debut in program history. Nixie Killpack added another PR at 9:56.88, and the momentum continued into the mile, where Evans (4:54) and Hacker (4:56) each posted personal-best performances, with Killpack finishing in 5:05 and Taylor Jorgensen closing out the group at 5:17. Jorgensen also recorded a PR in the 800 meters at 2:19.35.
In the hurdles, Sydney Gibson matched the program's 10th-best indoor mark in the 60-meter hurdles, a performance that places her seventh in the WAC after altitude conversion. The women's 4x400 meter relay team continued its strong weekend with a second-place finish. In the throws, Kiara Hansen improved her personal best in the weight throw to 53 feet, 1¼ inches, while freshman Chayanne Gordon moved to No. 7 in SUU history with a mark of 52 feet, 5¼ inches, further highlighting a productive and promising weekend for Southern Utah's women's squad.
Up Next
Southern Utah will travel to Reno, Nevada, for the Wolf Pack Classic on February 5th and 6th, where the Thunderbirds will look to continue their early season momentum.
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