Men and Women Both Finish 4th at HCAC Championships; Hudnall Named Thrower of the Year

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Mount St. Joseph hosted the 2026 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday in the Centennial Fieldhouse. After a great day of competition the Lions had a handful of champions, a pair of fourth place finishes, a new HCAC record and Madalyn Hudnall was named the HCAC's women's thrower of the year!

On the women's side the Lions scored 70.5 points as a team which secured them a fourth place finish as a team. For the women the meet got underway with a second place finish and eight points from Amanda Zerhusen in the 5000m run, after the sophomore finished with a time of 18:14.08. She also finished second in the 3000m and was a part of a second place finish in the women's 4000m distance medley. Joining her on that team was Sicilia Eshman, Ariel Riddle and Emerson Pinger. 

Other running events that the Lions scored team points in were the women's 4x400m relay where they finished seventh, that group included Sydney Williams, Olivia Forte as well as Riddle and Pinger. The quartet of Riddle, Williams, Forte and Aunelisa Newhart finished fifth in the 4x200m relay as well. Eschman would add a ninth place finish in the 800m and Pinger also finished ninth in the 400m. Williams also added a seventh place finish in the 60m dash.

The field events was where the women really shined in the meet led by 2026 HCAC women's thrower of the year Madalyn Hudnall. Hudnall was the individual champion in the shot put and paired that with a fifth place finish in the weight throw. Sophie Rawlings also scored points in the shot put with a sixth place finish. The Lions had a pair on the podium in the weight throw with Sienna Slaughter finishing in second place and Asia Branch in third. 

In the jumps Newhart finished fifth in the high jump with a 1.5m jump, and Londyn Frazier finished seventh in the triple jump with a 9,18m.

On the men's side the running events were the story led by the 4x200m team of Diego Yun, Kyle Evers Smith, Ezekiel Thomas and Chris Barrow who lit up the track to win the event. Their time of 1:29.52 was a new MSJ and HCAC record. 

Three quarters of that group (Yun, Thomas and Barrow) were joined by Dylan Hammons in a third place finish in the 4x400m relay. 

Yun reached the podium with a third place finish in the 60m, and Evers Smith finished fifth in the event.  Yun was also the individual champion in the 200m dash with a 22.10 time, Thomas and Barrow both scored in the event with fitth and seventh place finishes respetively. 

Christian Sumner and Fred Fleming each scored points in the 60m hurdles, Sumner finished sixth and Fleming eighth. 

Barrow continued his all around fantastic meet with a third place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.86m. D'san Ritchie scored an eighth place finish in the long jump. He woudl score in again in the triple jump with a seventh place finish, while teammate Kamren McFayden finished fourth. 

Two Lions scored points in the weight throw, Skyler Hughes finished fifth in the event and Kaleb Fitgerald finished sixth. Each of them threw a personal best in the event. 

This will wrap up the 2026 indoor season for the Lions as a team, they will now turn their attention to the outdoor portion of their season.