NORMAL, Ill. & DECATUR, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams closed out a two-meet weekend with a slew of first-place finishes and program top-10 marks as IWU split for the Redbird Challenge in Normal, Ill. and the Big Blue Alumni Invite in Decatur, Ill. Saturday, March 29.

Redbird Challenge
Sophomore Imani Ogunribido (Hanover Park, Ill.-Lake Park) claimed the event win in the women's triple jump with a 11.85m (38'10.50") leap while senior teammate Franchesca Smith (Chicago, Ill.-Bloomington) placed third with a 11.23m (36'10.25") mark.

Junior Jahari Scott (Lake Park, Ill.-Lake Bluff) lowered his personal-best time in the men's 100m dash to 10.86 seconds, as the junior placed third in the meet and sits fifth on the program's all-time list.  

Senior Ernie Waterson (Bloomington, Ill.-Cornerstone Christian Academy) notched a personal-best mark of 4:00.38 in the men's 1500m. The time ranks fifth in IWU laurels.

Turning in top-three finishes on the men's side was junior Zack Daniel (Lake Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) in the men's 5000m with a second-place finish (15:45.53), and senior Sam Okewole (Tinley Park, Ill.-Tinley Park) who placed third with a leap of 13.53m (44'4.75").

Big Blue Alumni Invite
Freshman Kelsey Moore (Arcola, Ill.-Arcola) claimed first-place finishes in both women's hurdle distances, clocking a 16.73 in the 100m discipline and a 1:08.96 in the 400m hurdles. Freshman Alex Reinhart (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) had the women's other first-place finish with a 59.32-second effort in the women's 400m. 

Senior Jordynn Griffin (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) clocked a 25.86-second mark in the women's 200m for a runner-up finish while sophomore Olivia Skibinski (Peoria, Ill.-Richwoods) placed third in the women's 100m with a 12.77-second time. 

Both IWU women's relays came away with the win in Decatur. The 4-by-100m relay squad of senior Bella Gonzalez (Itasca, Ill.-Lake Park), sophomore Katarina Petrovic (Willowbrook, Ill.-Hinsdale South), Griffin, and Skibinski posted a 49.21-second time for the win while the 4-by-400m quartet of Gonzales, Griffin, Reinhart, and freshman Caroline Hill (Bement, Ill.-Bement) crossed the finish line in 4:08.15. 

Sophomore Reece Dusek (Peoria, Ill.-Dunlap) bettered his personal-best marks in the 200m and 400m. Dusek's 21.96 second run in the 200m ranks 5th in program history while his 400m time of 48.60 seconds is fourth on the all-time list. 

Freshman Nyamedze Maison (Groveland, Ill.-Morton) and Jaden Preston (Carol Stream, Ill.-West Chicago) both crack the top 10 in program history for the 100m dash after posting third and fourth-place finishes, respectively. Maison sits ninth at 11.01 seconds, while Preston is 10th at 11.02 seconds. 

Junior Zach Marquardt (Minneapolis, Minn.-Washburn) turned in the top performance in the men's 3000m steeplechase in a time of 10:20.42 and senior Alex Harvey (Galesburg, Ill.-Galesburg) did the same in the men's 110m hurdles with a 15.52-second time. 

The men's 4-by-100m relay team of senior Joe Freedman (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville), sophomores Cole Marshall (Mahonmet, Ill.-Mahomet Seymour), Muhammad Freeman (Effingham, Ill.-Effingham), and Preston took the top spot in a time of 42.62 seconds.

Top-three finishes at the Big Blue Invite came from freshman Kamden Reynolds (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) in the men's 110m hurdles and sophomores Noah Sadowski (Burr Ridge, Ill.-Hinsdale) and Luke Alberstett (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah) in the open 400m and 400m hurdles, respectively. Reynolds 15.66-second time was good for a runner-up finish in the short-distance hurdles. Both finished third in their events with Sadowski clocking a 51.23 in the 400m and Alberstett turning in a 1:00.73 in the 400m hurdles. 

Illinois Wesleyan heads to Crawfordsville, Ind. Saturday, April 5 for the Huntsman Family Invitational hosted by Wabash College. 

Redbird Challenge Results
# PH - program history mark

Men 100m prelim
4. Jahari Scott 10.86

Men 100m final
3. Jahari Scott 10.86 - 5th PH

Men 200m
19. Nick Walker 22.79

Men 800m
8. Jacob Pinkston 1:59.33
10. Aidan Nishimura 1:59.74

Men 1500m
6. Ernie Waterson 4:00.38 - 6th PH

Men 5000m
2. Zack Daniel 15:45.53

Men discus
17. Nate Henderson 35.38m, 116'1"

Men high jump
6. Matt Lindberg 1.95m, 6'4.75"
11. Nick Walker 1.90m, 6'2.75"

Women javelin
7. Caitlin McCane 33.87m, 111'1"
15. Jadyn Bothe 26.09m, 85'7"
17. Lauren Patterson 17.65m, 57'11"

Men long jump
4. Jahari Scott 6.73m, 22'1"
9. Brooks Johnson 6.44m, 21'1.50"

Women long jump
13. Brandy Petitt 4.81m, 15'9.50"

Men triple jump
3. Sam Okewole 13.53m, 44'4.75"
X. Kyler Williams NM
X. Jeffery Woodard NM

Women triple jump
1. Imani Ogunribido 11.85m, 38'10.50"
3. Franchesca Smith 11.23m, 36'10.25"

Men shot put
7. Matthew Wagner 14.09m, 46'2.75"

Women shot put
8. Lauryn Moore 11.10m, 36'5"

Men pole vault
X. Sam Churchill NH

Women pole vault
X. Sophia Baczak NH

Big Blue Alumni Invite Results

Men 100m
3. Nyamedze Maison 11.01 9th PH
4. Jaden Preston 11.02 10th PH
6. Cole Marshall 11.04
7. Carson Green 11.17
8. Muhammad Freeman 11.23
10. Joe Freedman 11.28
13. Danny Crawford 11.56

Women 100m
3. Olivia Skibinski 12.77
4. Katarina Petrovic 13.06
5. Bella Gonzalez 13.07
7. Davion Lemon 13.14
8. Carly Edwards 13.44

Women 100m hurdles
1. Kelsey Moore 16.73

Men 110m hurdles
1. Alex Harvey 15.52
2. Kamden Reynolds 15.66
4. Bobby Mogged 15.82
5. Keagan Uphoff 16.48

Men 200m
1. Reece Dusek 21.96 - 5th PH
4. Danny Crawford 22.55
6. Noah Sadowski 22.73
7. Carson Green 22.80
8. Nyamedze Maison 22.86
10. Muhammad Freeman 22.93
11. Joe Freedman 23.04
12. Cole Marshall 23.05
14. Joel Weber 23.48

Women 200m
2. Jordynn Griffin 25.86
5. Olivia Skibinski 26.34
6. Alex Reinhart 26.84
10. Davion Lemon 27.33
13. Peyton Stinger 28.82

Men 400m
1. Reece Dusek 48.60 4th PH
3. Noah Sadowski 51.23
4. Jack Demakis 51.78
7. Joel Weber 52.10
8. Wyanye Hosea 52.19
9. Sam Fogerty 53.55

Women 400m
1. Alex Reinhart 59.32
2. Bella Gonzalez 59.83
4. Caroline HIll 1:03.27
5. Peyton Stinger 1:03.47

Men 400m hurdles
2. Alex Harvey 57.34
3. Luke Alberstett 1:00.73
4. Keagan Uphoff 1:00.75
5. Kamden Reynolds 1:00.98

Women 400m hurdles
1. Kelsey Moore 1:08.96

Men 800m
18. Seth Hamerski 2:06.83
25. Matt Lundsford 2:09.88
28. Terrance Smith 2:23.14
29. Angel Macias 2:39.47

Women 800m
6. Skyler Tomecki 2:37.91

Men 1500m
14. Seth Hamerski 4:13.94
26. Carson Davis 4:26.84
38. Griffin Owens 5:11.16

Women 1500m
16. Annika Blackburn 5:53.47
21. Courtney Maslana 6:13.95

Men 3000m steeple
1. Zach Marquardt 10:20.42

Men 5000m
7. Martin Howley 17:25.03

Men 4x100m relay
1. J. Freedman, C. Marshall, M. Freeman, J. Preston 42.62

Women 4x100m relay
1. B. Gonzalez, K. Petrovic, J. Griffin, O. Skibinski 49.21

Men 4x400m relay
2. L. Alberstett, W. Hosea, R. Dusek, N. Sadowski 3:26.30

Women 4x400m relay
1. B. Gonzalez, C. Hill, A. Reinhart, J. Griffin 4:08.15