CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Mount St. Joseph track program hosted the 2026 MoJoe Invite on Saturday, in the Centennial Field House in Cincinnati. This was the first time on the track for the Lions since December 6th, 2025.Â
On the men's side, the Lions finished fifth as a team, totaling 60 points at the meet. Junior Diego Yun led the way with a standout performance in the 60m dash, winning the event with a career-best time of 7.00 seconds to earn 10 points for Mount St. Joseph. Kyle Evers Smith added six more points in the event, placing third with a time of 7.13.
Evers Smith continued his strong day in the 200m, securing a second-place finish in 23.19 to contribute eight additional points. In the 400m dash, sophomore Chris Barrow turned in a career-best time of 53.14, finishing fourth and earning five points for the Lions.
Mount St. Joseph picked up points in the 800m as Alex Taft and Logan Wright combined for six. Taft placed fourth with a time of 2:07.65 to earn five points, while Wright finished eighth in 2:16.02 to add one. Taft later added four more points with a fifth-place finish in the mile run.
Despite facing a strong field dominated by NCAA Division I Northern Kentucky in the 60m hurdles, freshman Christian Sumner finished sixth to score three points for the Mount.
In the field events, freshman Kamren McFayden contributed in both jumping events, earning two points with a seventh-place finish in the long jump and adding eight more by placing second in the triple jump.
The women's team turned in an impressive performance, finishing third overall with 101 team points. In the 60m dash, Sydney Williams and Olivia Forte combined for nine points, with Williams placing fourth and Forte finishing fifth. Forte's time of 8.40 marked a career-best at Mount St. Joseph.
Williams and Forte also teamed up with freshman Ariel Riddle to score 14 points in the 200m. Williams placed third in 28.63 to earn six points, Forte finished fourth in 28.97 for five points, and Riddle added three more with a sixth-place finish in 29.11.
Riddle continued her productive day in the 400m, finishing fourth to earn five points, while sophomore Emerson Pinger followed closely in fifth to add four. In the 800m, sophomore Sicilia Eschman placed fourth to earn five points and later added six more with a fifth-place finish in the mile run.
Sophomore Amanda Zerhusen delivered an outstanding showing in the distance events. She ran a career-best 10:48.01 in the 3000m to place third, finishing behind only two Division I competitors. Zerhusen followed that effort by running the 5000m uncontested, yet still posted a career-best time of 18:09.81. She accounted for 16 total points and was named the HCAC Women's Distance Runner of the Week.
In the field, freshman Aunaleisa Newhart earned five points with a fourth-place finish in the high jump, while Josie Rigdon matched that point total with a fourth-place showing in the pole vault. The long jump saw Londyn Frazier finish fifth overall as the top Division III competitor, earning four points.
Frazier and Rigdon added another 11 points in the triple jump, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Freshman Sophie Rawlings contributed six points with a third-place finish in the shot put.
The weight throw rounded out the scoring for the Lions, led by senior Sienna Slaughter, who placed third with a mark of 14.06 meters to earn six points. Asia Branch followed in fifth to score four points, and Madalyn Hudnall finished eighth to add one more to the team total.
UP NEXT:
The Lions will be back at home on February 7th, as they host the 2026 MSJ Alumni Open.Â
