SEARCY - The No. 8 Harding men's track and field team delivered a strong showing at the Dan Veach Invitational hosted by Southern Arkansas, securing multiple event victories and NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks. Earlier in the weekend, senior Luke Walling also posted a notable performance at the prestigious Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, and junior Kelmen de Carvalho set a season-best score in the decathlon at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California.
At the Dan Veach Invitational, the Bisons' speed was evident as the 4x100-meter relay squad blazed to victory in 40.31 seconds, hitting the NCAA provisional standard. Individually, Samuel Williams had a stellar day, claiming the top spot in the 400 meters with a time of 48.64 seconds.
In the field events, Kylor Aguilar soared to victory in the pole vault, clearing an NCAA provisional height of 4.87 meters (15' 11.75"). Yves Bilong dominated the triple jump, winning the event with an NCAA provisional leap of 15.35 meters (50' 4.5"). Spencer Helms also had a notable performance, securing second place in the discus with an NCAA provisional throw of 51.20 meters (168' 0").
The javelin proved to be a strong event for the Bisons, with Casen Hammitt launching a winning, NCAA provisional mark of 64.55 meters (211' 9"), closely followed by freshman Christian Erkert in second place with an NCAA provisional throw of 60.86 meters (199' 8").
On the track, Noah Haileab led the way in the distance events at the Dan Veach Invitational, winning the 1500 meters in 3:58.68. Zach Reed also had a solid showing, finishing second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:56.55. The 4x400-meter relay team also secured a first-place finish in 3:15.47.
Adding to the week's successes, Luke Walling competed in the 5,000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, clocking a personal-best time of 14:30.90. This mark stands as the fastest 5,000-meter performance by a Harding runner this season. De Carvalho collected a score of 7,140 points in the decathlon at Mt. SAC, his highest total of the season and ranked fifth nationally in NCAA Division II.
Other notable performances at the Dan Veach Invitational included Kole Crawford winning the shot put with a mark of 15.07 meters (49' 5.5") and Lukas Stiper finishing third in the discus with a throw of 49.40 meters (162' 1") and seventh in the shot put. Daniel Osoba placed third in the triple jump with a mark of 14.27 meters (46' 10").
Overall, it was a successful week for the Harding men's track and field team, marked by victories, significant NCAA provisional qualifications, and a standout personal best in California. Harding will compete next weekend at meets at Arkansas and Arkansas State before the GAC Championships on April 30 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
