CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Southern Utah Track and Field team opens its outdoor season on Friday, March 20, at the Utah Tech Invite. The meet marks the first competition of the outdoor season and will help build experience as the Thunderbirds prepare for a promising year.
Head Coach Eric Houle said
"It's always nice to begin our outdoor season close to home. Both teams are eager to compete this weekend as the outdoor season kicks off. Having outstanding performances in the indoor season, my hope is that we can build on those performances as we gear up for the championship season later on."
Meet Info
Southern Utah will travel to St. George, Utah, where they will compete in the two-day event.
Live results will be available here.
Men's Season Outlook
Southern Utah wrapped up a strong indoor season with several standout performances across the board, highlighted by senior Jaedyn Carpenter, who posted times of 21.31 in the 200 and 47.08 in the 400. Kadan Allen led the middle-distance group with a 1:50.42 in the 800, while Garrison Shindler clocked 3:48.58 in the 1,500, and Ezra Nelson added a 4:07.83 mile. Freshman Amit Cohen made an immediate impact in the distance events, recording times of 8:19.87 in the 3,000 and 14:42.82 in the 5,000. In the sprints and hurdles, Ran Sawyer ran 6.82 in the 60, and Isley Gutierrez finished the 60 hurdles in 8.00. The Thunderbirds also found success in relays, with the 4x400 team running 3:13.72 and the distance medley relay finishing in 10:05.31. In the field events, freshman Divin Kalanga cleared 1.80 meters in the high jump and jumped 7.02 meters in the long jump, while Dylyn Cooks recorded a mark of 14.92 meters in the triple jump. Mason Gooder and Wilmarson Van Hecke led the throws with marks of 15.72 meters in the shot put and 15.23 meters in the weight throw, respectively. Jared Sharp added versatility with marks of 2:39.22 in the 1,000, 4.50 meters in the pole vault, and 4,673 points in the heptathlon.
Women's Season Outlook
Southern Utah's women's team also put together a strong indoor season, led by a mix of experienced leaders and impactful newcomers. Freshman Timmia Rucks made an immediate impression in the sprints and jumps, running 7.82 in the 60 while adding marks of 5.45 meters in the long jump and 11.29 meters in the triple jump. Sabrina Wright paced the sprint group with times of 24.98 in the 200 and 57.68 in the 400, while Kimberly Winward led the 800 in 2:11.11. Isabella Evans anchored the distance events with times of 4:52.50 in the mile and 9:40.22 in the 3,000. In the hurdles, Iana-Michovani Graham clocked 8.85 in the 60 hurdles. The Thunderbirds' relay squads also saw success, with the 4x400 team finishing in 3:54.26 and the distance medley relay posting a time of 12:55.59. In the field events, Chloe Bingham cleared 1.67 meters in the high jump, while Kiara Hansen recorded a mark of 12.69 meters in the shot put, and Chayanne Gordon led the weight throw with a mark of 16.73 meters. Lily Collier rounded out the performances with 3,118 points in the pentathlon.
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