The indoor track and field team opened their season in the familiar confines of the Scot Center on Saturday, Jan. 13. The Fighting Scots hosted three rivals — Wittenberg University, Ohio Wesleyan University and Oberlin College — at the Wooster Invitational. Both the men and women had standout, even record breaking, performances en route to second-place team finishes.
Being the first track meet of the year, the invitational provided a unique array of emotions for the competitors. Robert Mays III ’26 experienced opening day jitters, stating that, “honestly, it was nerve-racking to get back into it at first.” Evie Sanford ’26, for her part, felt invigorated by the atmosphere. As she put it, “coming back from our month-long winter break right into a meet less than a week later will definitely keep you on your toes and test whether or not you are prepared.” For many members of the team, including Nkosi Jeju ’27, the Wooster Invitational was their first opportunity to compete at the collegiate level. “Competing in my inaugural track meet was a riveting blend of excitement and anticipation,” he said. Once the meet commenced, however, the Scots succeeded in managing their emotions and achieving impressive results.
For the men, Jeju shined, notching a record-breaking performance in the long jump. With a mark of 24 feet, 1 inch, Jeju easily surpassed Mark Marando’s senior-year record of 22 feet, 9.75 inches set in 1992 to become the longest jumper in Scots’ history. Breaking this record in his very first collegiate meet was extremely meaningful to Jeju, who said it “symbolizes the culmination of hard work, training, mental resilience and a commitment to excellence.”
The Scots continued to roll in the field events. Mays III emerged victorious in the shot put, recording a throw of 43 feet, 10.75 inches. While in the circle, Mays III relied on solid technique. “I was focused on keeping my block arm open until I finish my throw, staying wrapped in my power phase to be as explosive as possible, and getting over on my off leg so I can sweep quickly around the ring,” Mays III explained. Dylan Garretson ’24 picked up where he left off last season in the pole vault, winning the event with a mark of 16 feet, 0.75 inches.
Like the men, the women excelled in the field events. In particular, Sanford and Drew Patterson ’24 stood out for the Scots. Sanford led the pack in the shot put, with an impressive throw of 38 feet, 7.75 inches. According to Sanford, “staying calm in order to set a good starting point for myself this season,” was crucial to her success. In the weight throw, Ainsley Wiesner ’24 launched a throw 48 feet, 0.5 inches to secure third place. Patterson’s mark of 33 feet, two inches in the triple jump also resulted in a first-place finish. In the high jump, she placed third with a leap of four feet, 11.5 inches.
On the track, several Scots notched impressive performances. Will Callender ’25 continued his dominance in distance events with an 8:55.72 first place finish in the 3000-meter race. Drew Robertson ’25 led the way in the mid-distance events, recording a time of 2:02.56 in the 800 meters, good for second place. Robertson, alongside Joe Shilts ’24, Cam Ray ’25 and Zane DeMercurio ’26 notched another second-place finish in the 4×400 meter relay.
The women’s team also competed remarkably in the running events. Daysia Hargrave ’25 showed off her speed and agility, winning the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.60 seconds. Athena Tharenos ’24 impressed in the 800-meter race, placing second with a time of 2:26.01. Tharenos carried over her skills to the relays, teaming up with Igna Mendez ’25, Amy Gabrovsek ’27 and Zanna Anderson ’27 to notch a third place time of 13:37.34 in the distance medley relay.
Despite falling to Wittenberg, the Scots’ excellence in both track and field events allowed both teams to achieve second place overall. Members of the team were happy with the team’s performance. Mays III emphasized that, “it was amazing seeing the practice and hard work payoff for us with steady improvement in throws.” Though the team celebrated the performances at the Wooster Invitational, they are looking forward to the rest of the season. “[We’re] hoping that we’ll be able to take these performances and these marks and continue to build on them throughout the season,” Sanford said. Jeju agreed with this sentiment, highlighting the need to stay focused in practice. “Thoughtful evaluation will guide us in refining our strategies, fostering a culture of continuous growth and ensuring a more robust performance in upcoming events.”
The Scots will once again enjoy the comforts of home on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 12:00 p.m. for the Fighting Scots Invitational. Come down to the Scot Center to support the team!