Arkansas State track & field wins 4 events at Vanderbilt Invitational

Pauline Meyer, Cheyenne Melvin, Cadence Lapp and Sophie Leathers combined to break the school record in the women’s distance medley relay Friday, highlighting a strong first day of action for the Arkansas State track and field teams at the Vanderbilt Invitational.

The quartet clocked a time of 11:44.22 to break the previous record of 11:48.59, set in 2020. Rahel Broemmel, Hannah McLaughlin, Kayla Wade and Jaybe Shufelberger finished in fourth with a time of 12:01.79, a time that is ninth in A-State indoor history.

A-State’s women’s DMR performance would not be the last strong distance performance of the night, as Meyer later clocked a time of 16:57.67 to win the women’s 5000 meters by over 30 seconds. Her time ranks fourth in school history.

In the men’s 5000, Ethan Mychajlonka likewise posted a top-5 mark, placing 13th with a time of 14:41.24, which is fifth in the event in program history. Lasse Funck then closed out the night in the men’s 1000 meters, crossing in 2:24.25 to finish third overall.

Camryn Newton-Smith, in her first collegiate event of the season, moved into second in program history in the long jump, leaping 6.16m/20-2.5 in a first-place finish. In the men’s long jump, reigning Sun Belt Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and fellow Aussie Colby Eddowes continued his strong rookie campaign with a mark of 7.53m/24-8.5, placing fifth.

Bradley Jelmert cleared an indoor-best 5.42m/17-9.25 to place third in the men’s pole vault and moved up to fifth in the Red Wolves’ top 10 in the event. Patryk Baran cleared a career-best 4.92m/16-1.75 to place 10th while Trace South vaulted a season-best 4.77m/15-7.75.

In the men’s weight throw, Aimar Palma Simo tossed the implement a season-long 19.19m/62-11.5 to place sixth.

Multiple Arkansas State track and field athletes either entered or moved up the program’s indoor top 10 on Saturday at the Vanderbilt Invitational.

Ten different athletes registered collegiate-best performances on the final day of the meet that also saw A-State athletes total eight podium finishes across two days, including four first-place results.

Colby Eddowes recorded another strong performance, this time in the 60-meter hurdles, winning with a time of 8.01 that ties him for sixth in school history, matching Solomon Williams (2010). He qualified for the final by running a collegiate-best 8.08 in the prelims.

Jonae Cook eclipsed her previous collegiate-best 60-meters time twice en route to a third-place finish. She clocked a top qualifying time of 7.50 in the prelims before running a time of 7.48 in the final. On the men’s side, freshman Myles Thomas also placed third and moved into a tie for third all-time with a mark of 6.77 in the final after registering a then-personal-best time of 6.80 in the prelims. He tied Justin Whitfield (2014) for third in A-State indoor history.

In the women’s 3000 meters, Sophie Leathers crossed in 9:46.21 to place seventh, but moved up to third in school history in the event, while Elizabeth Martin finished in 9:53.16 – a time that is sixth in program history. Rylan Brown clocked a time of 8:25.29 in the men’s 3000 meters, ranking sixth in school history in the event.

Hannes Fahl finished the men’s mile in 4:10.04, a time that is fourth best in the A-State indoor record books.

In the women’s shot put, Selase Sampram tossed an indoor-best 14.04m (46-0.75) to move into 10th in A-State indoor history. Camryn Newton-Smith also registered an indoor best, throwing 12.36m (40-6.75). Jacob Tracy earned a top-5 result in the men’s shot put, tossing 16.41m (53-10.25).

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