ST. PETER, Minn. – The Hamline University track and field program made a major statement Wednesday evening at the Gustie Twilight, led by a record-breaking performance from sophomore Isaiah Watson and a sweep of the long jump titles. The Pipers combined for several event victories and a flurry of personal bests, solidifying their standing among the top competitors in NCAA Division III.
The highlight of the night came in the men's triple jump, where Isaiah Watson delivered a massive personal-best leap of 14.90 meters. The mark not only secured first place and established a new facility record, but it also moved Watson into the No. 4 spot in the current Division III national rankings. The Pipers' dominance in the jumps continued as senior Josiah Budiman captured the men's long jump title with a meet-record leap of 6.65 meters, while freshman Mabel Badejo won the women's long jump with a personal-best mark of 5.56 meters. Badejo's performance is currently ranked No. 25 in the nation.
On the track, freshman Jukari Blackshere led the sprinting corps with two standout performances, taking second place in the 100-meter dash with a personal-best 11.02 and fifth in the 200-meter dash with another career-best time of 22.43. The women's relay teams also found the winner's circle, as the 4x200-meter relay squad of Alexi Schneider, Jaz Turnbaugh, Aliyah Robran, and Claire Siems took first place with a time of 1:46.07. Additionally, both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay teams secured second-place finishes with season-best times.
The Piper throwers turned in a heavy scoring day, highlighted by sophomore Eddie Herman and freshman Davian Vu. Herman placed second in the discus with a personal-best toss of 44.30 meters and added a third-place finish in the shot put at 13.58 meters. Vu earned a second place finish in the shot put with a career-best mark of 13.80 meters. In the hammer throw, sophomore Magenta Owens led the women with a second-place finish (43.48m), while Dillon Thurston took third for the men (44.94m).
Middle distance and hurdle events added to the team's success, with junior Anabel Bradley taking third in the 400-meter dash (1:00.04) and sophomore Briyanna Burkhardt securing fourth in the 800-meter run with a personal-best 2:31.72. Junior Morris Suah paced the men's hurdlers with a fifth-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles. In the vertical jumps, Savannah Brown cleared a season-best 3.10 meters to take fourth in the pole vault, and freshman Ali Simonson placed fourth in the high jump with a personal-best clearance of 1.45 meters.
With the conference championships on the horizon, the Pipers' performance in St. Peter marks a significant peak in momentum, highlighted by 25 total personal bests and three marks currently sitting in the top tier of the national landscape.
