Men's Track & Field

WARRIORS SHINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY

WARRIORS SHINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Posted: Apr 30, 2023

Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Men's Track & Field program made a statement at a number of events over the weekend. The Warriors wrapped up an impressive three-day stretch with performances at the Kip Janvrin Open and the LSU Invitational.

LSU INVITATIONAL

13 individuals made the trek to Baton Rouge, LA for the coveted LSU Invitational on Saturday. Competing against the lakes of powerhouse NCAA DI programs LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, among others, the Warriors produced record-breaking performances in a number of events.

400-METER DASH

One of the top performers in the nation this year, Chris Giles (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge) starred in the men's 400-meter dash with a blistering time of 45.34. Giles, a freshman finished behind only Ryan Willie and Emmanuel Bamidele of the University of Florida in a field of 37 athletes. Giles' time ranks No. 10 in the history of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and is the top overall mark in the nation this year. Giles' mark is the fastest in the NJCAA since 2019 when former Warrior Kenny Bednarek posted a time of 44.73. Giles currently owns the No. 2 time in the world at the U20 ranks. The Warriors also saw solid performances from Woyn Chatman (Little Rock, AR/Little Rock Central), Chris Johnson (Houston, TX/Cypress Park), and Ke'Vontae Walls-Burdine (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran). Chatman won his heat with a time of 47.28 to place 19th overall while Johnson tallied a 21st place finish with a time of 47.47. Walls-Burdine also won his heat with a personal best time of 47.67 to place 22nd overall.

800-METER DASH

The Warriors boasted three individuals to win their individual heat, including freshman Tyrice Taylor (Linstead, Jamaica/Linstead) who posted the top overall mark at the meet with a time of 1:49.20, the lone individual to break 1:50.0 Two-time national champion Rivaldo Marshall (Kingston, Jamaica/Calabar) placed fifth overall in the 32-athlete field with a time of 1:51.47. Freshman Cole Reinders (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's Catholic) placed 21st overall and won his heat with a time of 1:53.67.

4X400-METER RELAY

Giles, Taylor, Marshall, and Chatman teamed up to set a new school record in the men's 4x400-meter relay event. The Warriors placed fourth overall out of six teams with a time of 3:07.28, more than 1.5 seconds off the previous school record set in 2021. Marshall's last leg split led the Warriors with a time of 46.322, the seventh fastest split of the 24 athletes in the event. All four Warriors broke the 47.5 mark in their respective split, one of just two teams to accomplish that feat.

100-METER DASH

Freshman Traunard Folson (Jacksonville, FL/Andrew Jackso) led the Warriors in the men's 100-meter dash with a 20th place finish overall and a time of 10.41. Khalid Hornsby (Greenbelt, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) placed 28th overall with a time of 1.068 while Nehemiah Ray (Chicago, IL/Brother Rice) cross the line in 30th with a time of 10.78. 200-Meter Dash Folson followed up in the men's 200-meter dash with a personal best time of 20.64. Walls-Burdine, Hornsby, Johnson, and Ray all posted top-23 finishes in the event for the Warriors.

400-METER HURDLES

Dean Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica/Calabar) and Damien Lewis (College Station, TX/Brenham) both competed in the 400-meter dash event for the Warriors and put together respectable performances in front of top competition from around the country. Clarke posted a time of 53.55 followed by Lewis' mark of 54.37.

KIP JANVRIN OPEN

The Warriors sent a number of individuals to the 2023 Kip Janvrin Open, one of the largest events throughout the Midwest region. In total, 14 different Warriors produced strong showings at Buxton Stadium.

100-METER DASH

Sophomore D'Eric Smith (Bridgeton, NJ/Ankeny Centennial) led the Warriors with a third-place finish with a mark of 10.57, just .03 seconds off a personal best time. Stephen Brown (Pontiac, MI/Lake Orion) followed up with a personal best time of 10.60 to place sixth overall.

200-METER DASH

Smith added a seventh-place finish in the men's 200-meter dash, the top place for a Warrior finisher. Smith's time of 21.42 is a new personal best mark for the sophomore. Brown added a ninth-place showing with a time of 21.48, also a new personal best time. Keshawn Renejuste (Miami, FL/Killian) placed 11th overall with a personal best time of 21.56.

800-METER DASH

Jorge Becerra (Lawrenceville, GA/Mountain View), Brody Lucas (Norwalk, IA/Norwalk), and Keelan Aita (Bennington, KS/Bennington) all posted personal best times in the men's 800-meter run. Becerra posted a 33rd place finish with a time of 1:56.13 followed by Lucas in 40th place with a time of 1:56.79. Aita crossed the line with a time of 2:01.08 for the Warriors.

HIGH JUMP

Chris Sizemore (Speedwell, VA/Rural Retreat) nearly hit a personal best mark with a distance of 1.90 meters in the men's high jump. Sizemore cleared 1.90 in his first attempt before attempting to clear 1.95, the eventual winning mark at the meet. Cadence Bass (Kansas City, MO/Park Hill) placed sixth overall for the Warriors with a mark of 1.85 meters.

LONG JUMP

Isaiah Valentine (Mason City, IA/Ankeny Centennial) was the lone competitor in the men's long jump for the Warriors. The freshman posted a mark of 6.93 meters to place fifth overall.

MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP

Wilson Alljabu (Kansas City, MO/Winnetonka) placed fourth overall for the Warriors in the triple jump with a mark of 13.14 followed by Raphael Akinyemi's (Iselu Ogun State, Nigeria/Eleanor Roosevelt) sixth place showing with a mark of 12.72 meters.

HURDLES

CJ McFerrin (Alpharetta, GA/Alpharetta) represented the Warriors in both the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdle events. The school record holder placed fourth overall in the 110m event with a time of 14.49 and added a time of 57.64 in the 400m event. The Warriors will now gear up for the upcoming NJCAA Region XI Outdoor Championship in Council Bluffs, IA May 5-7.