By: Hunter McKay
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Kennesaw State men's team is in second place and the women's squad sits in third place following the opening day of the 2026 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Friday at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
On the men's side, the Owls will have some catching up to do on Saturday if they hope to extend their indoor conference championship streak to three overall and two consecutive in CUSA. Liberty scored 71 points in the opening five events and has a 28-point lead on second place KSU.
The KSU women scored 46.5 points in the opening six events and sit just one point behind Liberty for second place. FIU leads after scoring 50 points on Friday. The KSU women are aiming to win their first CUSA indoor title and the first women's team title since KSU joined the league on July 1, 2024.
Men's Recap
The men's distance medley relay quartet of
Edwin Kiprono,
Marion Clark,
Justin Warner and
Collins Kipkemboi finished Friday's action running a time of 9:59.77 to secure the gold medal and set the school record. It was the first time in program history that KSU won the men's DMR at a conference championship meet.
Brian Limo (14:23.38) and
Collins Kipkemboi (14:26.97) took home fourth and fifth in the 5K final.
Noah Jirgens earned a bronze medal with a mark of 19.22m (63'0.75") in the weight throw.
Evan Martinez (19.21m | 63'0.25"),
Rickey Robbins (17.71m | 58'1.25"), and
Harrison Pawsat (17.55m | 57'7'0") finished fourth, sixth and seventh respectively. Martinez's mark was a personal best.
Gavin Horton cleared the bar at a career-best height of 5.15m (16'10.25") to take home fourth in the pole vault.
Cameron Dean landed a personal-best leap of 7.20m (23'7.50") in the long jump to secure fourth place and three points for KSU.
The Owls will have finalists in five of six running events on Saturday.
Chance Cross set a new school record in the 200m with a time of 20.69 seconds in Friday's prelims. He will be joined in the final by
Eric Young II who clocked the second-fastest time in program history of 20.86 seconds.
Cross will be the lone Owl in the men's 60m final after he posted a time of 6.66 seconds to place second in the prelims.
Edwin Kiprono (4:19.91) placed sixth in the 1-mile prelims to earn a spot in the finals.
Joshua Jones (7.98 seconds) and
Cameron Guadiano (8.04 seconds) advanced to the 60m hurdles final. Jones's time was a personal best.
Saturday's men's 400m finals will feature a quartet of Owls as
Eric Young II (47.08 seconds),
Trey Geter (47.49 seconds),
Marion Clark (47.59 seconds) and
Justin Warner (47.62 seconds) all advanced. Young's time was his season best while Geter and Clark's were personal-best performances.
Ian Tukes (2431 points) and
Darris Roberts (2314 points) are in seventh and eighth respectively in their first collegiate heptathlons. The heptathlon concludes with three events on Saturday.
Women's Recap
Kali Terza won KSU's lone gold medal on the women's side Friday. She won the weight throw with a toss of 21.13m (69'4").
Myesha Hall recorded a season-best leap of 6.14m (20'1.75") to earn the silver medal in the long jump.
Morgan Pepe established a new school record in the pole vault with a personal-best clearance of 4.06m (13'3.75") to finish fourth. Teammates
Keira Hight (3.96m | 12'11.75") and
Lilly Chouinard (3.71m | 12'2") placed sixth and seventh respectively. Hight's clearance was a personal best and tied for the third best in program history.
The Owls DMR quartet of Riley Perlakowksi,
Eliana Mbadinga, Mayson Humpert, and Akshana placed second with a time of 11:37.89 just seconds behind Liberty.
Amelia Coker secured fourth in the pentathlon scoring 3592 points.
Madison Seiler posted a time of 16:28.28 to earn the bronze medal in the 5K final.
Riley Perlakowski ran a time of 4:56.17 to move into Saturday's one-mile final.
The 60m hurdles final will feature four KSU women.
Tickia Sutton (8.43 seconds),
Natalie Harris (8.46 seconds),
Hannah Cheek (8.63 seconds) and
Madison Maxey (8.73 seconds) all advanced on Friday.
Samiya Wayne (7.45 seconds) and
Kenadie Singleton (7.46 seconds) cruised in to the 60m final. Wayne's time is a personal-best.
Emma Sullivan (2:09.24),
Britney Chatfield (2:10.21) and Mayson Humpert (2:11.47) all advanced to the 800m final.
Wayne (24.12 seconds) and Mbadinga (24.25 seconds) both ran season-best times to advance to the 200m final.
The Owls will conclude competition at the 2026 Conference USA Championships on Saturday, Feb. 28
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