FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – It was a promising start for the UTSA track & field teams on Friday at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome for Northern Arizona’s Lumberjack Team Challenge, as the Roadrunners kicked off the 2025 Indoor season. UTSA secured 15 medals on the competition, including six gold-medal performances, along with a pair of snapped records by Mia Lien and Shadae Findley.
Early in the competition, Lien eased over the bar at 1.80m (5-10.75), surpassing Whitney Flannel’s 10-year-old record from the 2015 Conference USA Championships, with a solid opening move for the Jakobsli, Norway sophomore. Also in the high jump, Madelen Sveinungsen finished sixth at 1.57m (5-1.75).
Late into the evening, the new transfer from Manchester, Jamaica by way of Angelo State, Findley lopped .3 seconds off Paige Patterson’s 2017 CUSA Championships 400m performance to move to the top of the chart in her first race as a Roadrunner with a 53.98 clocking. Also medaling in the event, Nayanna Dubarry-Gay finished second in 56.25 and Ibiso David-West came in seventh at 58.12.
Kicking off the day on the same ground she set school and conference records a year ago as a freshman, now-sophomore Ida Breigan opened the day with gold in the women’s long jump on a 6.50m (21-4) measurement – topping the leaderboard of an event dominated by Roadrunners. Earning the silver medal, Slovenian freshman Brina Likar registered a 6.12m (20-1) leap, while senior Oreoluwa Adamson was back in action after last year’s injury for the bronze at 6.02m (19-9). Sophomore Edlin Laur was fourth at 5.95m (19-6.25), Fresno State transfer Rachela Pace was fifth at 5.86m (19-2.75) and senior Dahlia Barnes was seventh at 5.65m (18-6.5).
On the men’s side of the long jump, the Roadrunners struck gold again, as senior Christiaan Le Roux leapt 7.59m (24-11) on his sixth and final pass to win the event and edge out silver medalist and classmate Dylan James’ final jump of 7.44m (24-5).
The Roadrunners also saw plenty of success in the throws, as Arkansas State transfer Nyaluet Diew logged a new personal best in the women’s shot put to win the event with a 15.87m (52-0.75) heave. Earlier in the competition, she picked up her first UTSA medal with a bronze-medal toss of 17.71m (58-1.25) in the weight throw. On the men’s side, senior Michael Cambell earned silver in the shot put with a measurement of 16.37m (53-8.5), following up his afternoon bronze in the weight throw at 19.99m (65-7).
With the start of the running events, the Roadrunners put another on the medal board quickly, as redshirt freshman Selma Ims was second in the women’s 60m hurdles final with an 8.49 clocking, tying for the third-best UTSA performance in the record books.
Senior Mike Roth edged out CSUN’s Gabriel Martinez by .04 seconds in the men’s 400m to claim gold with a 47.25 clocking for the standing UTSA record-holder. Newcomer Hugo Menin followed in fifth at 47.91, just ahead of Martin Kouyoumdjian in sixth (47.97) and AJ Breault in eighth (48.10).
On to the women’s 200m, where senior Kiah Dubarry-Gay registered a silver-medal performance at 24.93 seconds, while classmate Thennelle Williams was sixth in 25.60.
Leah Smith finished eighth in the 60m final at 7.74 seconds. In the men’s shot put, Ryan Stillman also finished fifth with a 15.43m (50-7.5) measurement and Garrett Stokes was seventh on a 14.90m (48-10.75). In the earlier weight throw, Hugo Menin was fifth at 17.19m (56-4.75) and Waylon McKenzie finished eighth at 15.69m (51-5.75).
The Roadrunners will return to action next weekend much closer to home, traveling to College Station, Texas for Texas A&M’s Ted Nelson Invitational, Jan. 24-25 at the R.A. "Murray" Fasken '38 Indoor facility.
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