HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The West Liberty University men's and women's track & field teams delivered a historic opening day Saturday at the Mountain East Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, highlighted by a conference championship, four school records, and a strong group of qualifiers advancing to Sunday's finals.
Event Champion
West Liberty crowned one conference champion on day one as Ky'Ara Ross captured the women's long jump title with a leap of 5.90 meters (19-4.25), earning 10 team points and posting a new NCAA Division II top-35 mark.
The victory marked Ross's third straight MEC Indoor Long Jump Championship, having also won the event in 2024 and 2025 — a remarkable run of dominance in the conference.
She was joined on the podium by Sierra Lanham, who placed second with a mark of 5.74 meters (18-10.00), adding eight more points for the Hilltoppers.
Four School Records Fall
The Hilltoppers rewrote the record book four times on Saturday:
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Brookelyn Reynolds broke her own school record in the women's 400 meters, running 57.87 in the prelims to automatically qualify for Sunday's final.
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Dominic Gianangeli set a new program record in the men's 400 meters with a time of 50.22.
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Timber Huysmans established a new school record in the men's 200 meters, clocking 21.45, a mark that ranks among the top times in NCAA Division II this season.
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The women's 4,000-meter distance medley relay set a new school record with a time of 12:49.60. The record-setting quartet consisted of Lacey Dimit, Katie Rutherford, Naomi Young, and Gretchen House.
Additional Scoring Performances
On the men's side:
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Isaah Beard placed fourth in the long jump (6.84m), scoring five points.
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In the pole vault, Reese Burnside (4th), Dominick Gagum (5th), and John Bowen (7th) combined for 11 points.
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Robert Allen added points with a seventh-place finish in the 5,000 meters.
On the women's side:
Qualifiers Advancing to Sunday Finals
West Liberty will have multiple athletes competing for conference titles Sunday:
Men's 60m
Women's 60m
Men's 60m Hurdles
Women's 60m Hurdles
Men's 200m
Women's 200m
Women's 400m
In the men's heptathlon, Reese Burnside and Seth Wisman remain in contention heading into Sunday's final events.
West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.
