Pokes Thrive at Altitude, Break Records at Bobcat Challenge

BOZEMAN, Mont. (January 25, 2025) – The University of Wyoming track and field program broke two school records, set 18 personal bests and earned 24 podium finishes, including seven first-place finishes, at the Bobcat Challenge inside Worthington Areana, Saturday.

FIELD EVENTS

Senior thrower Daniel Reynolds set the tone of personal bests for Wyoming with his throw of 77’ 8.75” (23.69 meters) in the weight throw to extend his school and Mountain West record set at the Power Meet this season. Reynolds first-place throw also list as the No. 5 mark in the nation.

Freshman thrower Colt Sotelo also posted a personal best in the weight throw with his mark of 58’ 2.5” (17.74 meters).  Freshman Charles LaFore made his Cowboy debut in the weight throw, starting his career with a throw of 60’ 6” (18.44 meters).

In the men’s shot put, junior thrower Cam Burkett won with his throw of 61’ 2.75” (18.66 meters). In second came junior Gage Griffith with his mark of 54’ 4” (16.56 meters). Another notable mark in the shot put came from freshman Quinn Lindsay with his personal-best throw of 51’ 3.5” (15.63 meters).

Freshman thrower Teagan Becker reached the podium with her throw of 42’ 7.5” (12.99 meters) in the shot put.

The Cowboys went 1-2 in the long jump with All-American senior Kareem Mersal making his season debut with a Top-40 NCAA jump of 24’ 5.5” (7.45 meters) and sophomore Christian Edwards taking second with a distance of 22’ 3” (6.78 meters).  Edwards also took first in the triple jump with his jump of 43’ 11.25” (13.39 meters).

In the women’s long jump, freshman Taliah Morris earned a second-place finish with her jump of 18’ 10” (5.74 meters) and junior jumper Elayna Chafee finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 38’ 0.75” (11.60 meters).

RUNNING EVENTS

Action on the track began with the 60 meters. On the men’s side, two Cowboys made the final in junior Carter McComb and freshman Bridger Norton. In that final, McComb ran to first with a personal-best 6.84, after altitude adjustments, and the No. 10 time in school history. Norton finished seventh with a time of 7.30.

In the women’s 60 meters, freshman Taliah Morris made the final and finished fifth with a time of 7.72.

The men’s 60 meter hurdles saw senior sprinter Jaheim Ferguson taking third with a time of 8.39. On the women’s side, freshman sprinter Carly Norman made the final and finished fourth with a time of 8.95. Sophomore sprinter Ava Morgan, while not making the final, still ran a personal-best time of 9.12 in the 60 meter hurdles.

The 200 meter saw several personal bests. On the men’s side, Norton finished third with a personal-best time of 22.45 while freshman Logan Brown posted a personal best of 22.88. The women’s side also saw a personal best with freshman Megan Witkiewicz’s time of 25.74.

Freshman Bradley Ekstrom won the men’s 400 meter with a time of 49.08. Junior Carson Kaminski set a personal best in the event with his time of 51.64.

In the women’s 400 meter, two Cowgirls finished with a personal best. Sophomore Gabbreiella Mendoza-Molina ran a personal-best time of 57.13 while sophomore Isabelle Harvey set a personal best of 58.95.

The Cowboys picked up two podium finishes in the 800 meters. Junior Tristan Knueppel took second with a time of 1:55.59 while sophomore Jake Bach ran a personal-best of 1:55.60.

Junior Libby Berryhill-Worshek was the only podium finish in the women’s 800 meter with her finish of 2:16.21.

In the women’s mile run, freshman Hanan Aldelemy grabbed her first podium with a third-place time of 5:15.24. On the men’s side, Bach set a personal-best time of 4:13.73.

Wyoming excelled in the longest event of the day, the 3,000 meters. The men went 1-2-3 with two personal best and a school-record finish. Junior distance runner Jacob White took first with a school record and personal-best time of 7:58.23, after altitude adjustments. Senior Gus McIntyre ran to second with a personal-best time of 8:04.03 after adjustments and moved him up to No. 4 in the school record book while Senior Ryker Holtzen finished third with a time of 8:05.98, after adjustments.

In the women’s 3,000 meter, senior Kylie Simshauser ran to a second-place finish with her time of 9:24.71, a personal best, and No. 4 in school history, after altitude adjustments. Two more personal bests were set in the 3,000 meters run with junior Rozlyn Slichko finishing at 10:00.67 and senior Nina Zraik crossing the line at 10:07.47.

The Bobcat Challenge concluded with the 4x400 meter relays. On the men’s side, the team of Hape, L. Brown, Ferguson and Ekstrom came in second with their time of 3:18.21. The women raced two teams with both making the podium. In second place, the team of senior Gabby Drube, Witkiewicz, senior Paige Sefried and freshman Eva Dellorco ran a time of 3:49.66 while the team of Harvey, freshman Madeline Thorne, McDowell and Mendoza-Molina finished third with a time of 4:00.47.

Track and field will continue their road journey in Boulder, Colo., for the Colorado Invite, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. Wyoming missed their first opportunity in Boulder after skipping the Colorado Classic due to weather, last weekend.

Stay up to date with Wyoming track & field by following @wyo_track on X and Instagram.