VU Track and Field finishes regular season with strong showing in windy conditions

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Trailblazer Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams are no strangers to windy conditions, having battled them all season long and put that experience to use Saturday afternoon at the Sycamore Open track meet at Indiana State University.

The VU Women’s team was led by another excellent throwing day from freshman Giorgia Fino (Italy) who took the top spot in the Javelin with a longest throw of 37.44 meters.

Sophomore Chloe Knepp (Montgomery, Ind.) also held her own against some tough competition to finish seventh in the 400 meters, with a time of 1:03.45.

Freshman Abyela Cruz (French Lick, Ind.) capped off the women’s team scorers with an eighth place finish in the discus throw, ending with a throw of 26.69 meters.

The VU Men’s team also picked up a race winner, with freshman Mathew Keitany (Kenya) taking the top spot in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:00.03.

The Trailblazer 4×100 meter relay team of freshmen Jalen Bowman (Evansville, Ind.), Collin Sutton (New Albany, Ind.) and Yamar Lyons (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and sophomore Kyle Stewart (Evansville, Ind.) came together to take second place with a time of 42.57 seconds.

Jalen Bowman also came away with a third-place finish in the 200 meters, ending at 21.47 seconds.

Kyle Stewart also placed third in the Long Jump ending with a jump distance of 6.99 meters.

Sophomore Damien Ross (East St. Louis, Ill.) placed eighth in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 1:00.57.

Sophomore Manamanya Opiew (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished fourth in the 800 meters with a time of 1:57.27.

Freshman Nicholas Stanislaus (Grenada) and sophomore Jaylen Rush (Palos Heights, Ill.) both placed in the Javelin throw, with Stanislaus placing fourth at 42.75 meters and Rush taking seventh at 33.59 meters.

The VU scorers were rounded out by Stanislaus and sophomore Matthew Frazier (Franklin, Ind.) ending with a fifth place tie in the Pole Vault, with the two jumpers reaching 4.00 meters.

The VU women’s team placed 11th as a team at the meet and the men’s team took sixth place, finishing ahead of four NCAA Division I programs in Saint Louis, Evansville, Bradley and IUPUI.

“We had another windy affair, but as we have all season, the kids just competed,” VU Head Track and Field Coach Marty Rogier said. “That’s what they do.”