Men's Track & Field

WARRIORS RANKED NO. 5 IN USTFCCCA POLL

WARRIORS RANKED NO. 5 IN USTFCCCA POLL
Posted: Apr 13, 2023

Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Men's Track & Field squad checked in at No. 5 in the Week 3 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll after another impressive showing in the outdoor season.

The Warriors, ranked No. 3 in this week's USTFCCCA Midwest Region poll, entered at No. 5 in the national rankings this week with 364.48 points. Indian Hills currently owns eight individual top-five national marks and 14 individual top-five marks in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) this year. After an impressive showing at the KT Woodman Classic in Wichita, KS over the weekend, the Warriors climbed four spots in this week's 100-meter dash event squad rankings and held strong atop the 200-meter dash event rankings.

Head coach Brent Ewing's squad has made waves in the national conversation this year in a number of events. The Warriors currently own the top team event squad in the men's 200-meter dash while the 100-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter squads all rank second nationally. Indian Hills also ranks 12th nationally as a team in the men's 1,500-meter event squad.

Headlined by freshman standout Chris Giles (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge), the Warrior sprint groups have dominated the field in the team's three outdoor meets this season. Giles has won all four events he's competed in this year and ranks as the only individual in the nation to rank in the top-six of the 100m, 200m, and 400m events. Giles owns personal best times this year of 10.32 in the 100m, 20.68 in the 200m, and 46.24 in the 400m.

Traunard Folson (Jacksonville, FL/Andrew Jackson) has helped power the 100m group with a national qualifying mark of 10.35 on the year while Chris Johnson (Houston, TX/Cypress Park) and Woyn Chatman (Little Rock, AR/Little Rock Central) have each qualified for the national championship in the 200m and 400m events.

Led by defending indoor and outdoor national champion Rivaldo Marshall (Kingston, Jamaica/Calabar), the Warriors' 800m squad boasts four individuals with national qualifying marks for an average of 1:50.12 on the year. Marshall is joined by teammates Tyrice Taylor (Linstead, Jamaica/Linstead), Mohammed Al-Yafaee (Doha, Qatar/Aspire Academy), and Cole Reinders (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's Catholic).

Troy Johnson (Lancaster, PA/J.P. McCaskey) has led the Warrior jumping staff with the No. 5 mark in the nation in the long jump with a school record effort this year of 7.33 meters.

The Warrior hurdlers have been anchored by CJ McFerrin's (Alpharetta, GA/Alpharetta) school record 14.48 in the 110-meter hurdles while Dean Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica/Calabar) and Damien Lewis (College Station, TX/Brenham) ranked first and second, respectively in school history with dominant performances in the 400-meter hurdles this year.

Indian Hills will send a series of individuals to a pair of events this weekend with the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, KS and the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, CA on Friday.