LEXINGTON, Kentucky - The Mount St. Joseph track and field team competed in the 2026 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Championships over the weekend, hosted by Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. On the women's side the Lions boast a pair of HCAC individual champions, and a fourth place overall finish. The Men finished in sixth place overall as a team in the event.
On the women's side both
Madalyn Hudnall (Javelin) and
Aunaleisa Newhart (High Jump) were champions of their individual events. In the javelin event Hudnall tossed an impressive 36.64m, winning the event by more than two meters and securing her second straight HCAC title. While Newhart took the high jump by just .03m, each earned 10 points toward their team score.
In the 100m dash,
Sydney Williams was the lone Lion to qualify for the finals, finishing in fifth place overall with a time of 13.05 earning four points.
Amanda Zerhusen finished second in the 1000m run and third in the 5000m run, earning 14 points toward the team total.
The quartet of
Ariel Riddle,
Emerson Pinger, Williams and Newhart finished fifth in the 4x400 relay which earned the team four points.
Josie Rigdon finished sixth in the pole vault, clearing 2.78m and earning three points.
Londyn Frazier finished in eighth place in the triple jump to earn one point.
In the shotput
Sophie Rawlings finished in second place with a 12.40m throw, earning eight points.
Sienna Slaughter earned points in two events, with a second place finish in the hammer throw and a seventh place finish in the discus she earned 10 total points.
Asia Branch earned three points as well in the hammer throw, finishing in sixth place.
As a team the women finished with 67 total points, good for fourth place in the event.
On the men's side the Lions finished with 44 total points, good for sixth place in the event.
In the 100m dash
Diego Yun finished in third place with a 10.90, which earned six points. He would add a second place finish in the 110m hurdles to earn a further eight points.
Freshman
Christian Sumner finished seventh in the 400m hurdles, earning two points.
In the 4x400 relay the group of Ezekial Thoms,
Dylan Hammons,
Kyle Evers Smith and Sumner combined to finish sixth and earn three points.
In the high jump,
Chris Barrow finished sixth for three points, while teammate D'San Ritchie finiished fourth in the triple jump to earn five points.
Bryan McCutcheon finished seventh in the shot put to earn two points, while
Lleyton Flamm (4th place) and Hammons (5th place) combined for nine points in the javelin throw.
UP NEXT:
This concludes the season for the majority of the MSJ track and field team, a few select athletes will continue to compete in last chance meets to attempt to qualify for the National Championships!
