Emporia, KS – Fresh off the program's first-ever indoor national championship, the Indian Hills Men's Track & Field team opened up the outdoor season with an impressive showing at the Emporia State Relays on Thursday.
The Warriors opened up the 2024 outdoor campaign with three first-place finishes as the Warriors placed second overall in the 25-team field with 86 points, behind only host Emporia State University. Indian Hills was one of six junior college programs competing, including Barton Community College (KS), Butler Community College (KS), and Iowa Central Community College.
The men's 4x100-meter relay squad opened the day with a first-place finish with a time of 40.55, the current No. 5 mark in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) this year. The Warrior quartet of Stephen Brown (Pontiac, MI/Lake Orion), Traunard Folson (Jacksonville, FL/Andrew Jackson), Amos Oruamabo (Jacksonville, FL/Ribault), and Michael Blank led the relay squad over second-place Butler and third-place Iowa Central.
Chris Johnson (Houston, TX/Cypress Park), an All-American performer during the indoor season, took home a first-place finish in the men's 400-meter dash with a mark of 47.10, the current No. 3 time in the nation this year. The sophomore followed up with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.25.
Sophomore Cyrus Ways (Ponte Vedra, FL/Nease) finished atop the standings in the men's 400-meter hurdle event with a time of 53.42, the No. 2 mark in school history while teammate Shaunlarry Lamarre (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood) took seventh with a program top-five mark of 55.46.
Freshman Tate Joens (Cedar Rapids, IA/Cedar Rapids Prairie) followed up his breakout indoor campaign with two impressive performances in the throws events. Joens placed second overall in the discus with the No. 2 mark in school history at 51.86 meters. Joens rewrote the record books in the hammer event as well, setting a new school record with a third-place finish with a mark of 57.05. Joens' first outdoor appearance in the hammer event led to the No. 1 mark in the nation this year.
Folson, an All-American during the indoor season, starred in the 100-meter dash for the Warriors, running the second-fastest time in school history with a time of 10.25 to place second overall.
All-American Triston Miller (Columbus Junction, IA/Columbus Junction) placed third overall in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.24, the No. 2 mark in school history which qualifies the freshman for the outdoor national championship.
Cole Reinders (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's Catholic), an All-American during the indoor season, placed third overall in the 1,500-meter run with a personal best time of 3:55.39, the No. 5 mark in the nation thus far this year and the No. 3 time in school history.
The outdoor season continues next weekend for the Warriors with a pair of events on the docket. Indian Hills will travel to the Truman State Invitational in Kirksville, MO April 4-6 and the Arkansas Spring Invitational in Fayetteville, AR April 6.
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