Track and Field 12/8/2024 8:59:00 PM Matt McIntosh '23

Three Program Records Set at Season Opener for Track and Field

WINCHESTER, Va. – The 2024 track and field season opened with a bang for Shenandoah University on Sunday, as the Hornets hosted the Holiday Kickoff Open at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics and Events Center. The meet saw Shenandoah athletes set three new program records and 19 personal records were achieved.

The day began on the track, where Ethan Harrower broke a long-standing school record in the men's 5000-meter race. Harrower crossed the line in 15:32.22, shattering a record that stood for nearly 17 years. Not far behind, Caleb Beiswenger turned in a personal best of 16:05.24, moving him into seventh place on Shenandoah's all-time performance list for the event.

Sprint medley relays were also a highlight for the Hornets. Both the men's and women's teams left their marks, with the men finishing second in a program-record time of 3:45.23 and the women claiming first place with their own school-best performance of 4:35.04.

In the middle distances, Amy Oleksy led a strong showing in the women's 800 meters, taking first place in 2:31.46. Teammate Grace Semow finished third, nearly 1.5 seconds behind Oleksy, while Mackenzie Plowman added a solid sixth-place effort in 2:34.69.

The long-distance events were equally successful for the Hornets. In the men's 3000 meters, Nathan Lee set a personal record of 9:49.88, finishing ninth in a competitive field. He was joined by teammates Brenden Maloy, Noah Godfrey, Tyler Mullen, and Theo Beyer, all of whom achieved personal bests. On the women's side, Madeline Lotts led the charge, earning first place in the event, with school record-holder Makenna Thrush taking second in 10:46.19.
In the field events, Katya Hoover, a 2024 indoor national qualifier, began her campaign with a win in the women's high jump, clearing 1.55 meters. Taylor McIntyre followed closely, setting a personal best with a 1.43-meter jump to finish third.

First-year thrower Luke Jacobs represented the Hornets in the men's weight throw and shot put, finishing tenth in the weight throw with a toss of 10.78 meters and recording a 9.54-meter effort in the shot put.

Elsewhere in the jumps, Kaitlyn Loy set personal bests in both the women's long jump (4.61 meters) and the 200-meter dash (29.07 seconds). Elijah Hall rounded out the day with a fourth-place finish in the men's triple jump, reaching 12.36 meters, and a sixth-place performance in the long jump with a leap of 6.11 meters.

UP NEXT

The Hornets will now take a well-earned holiday break before returning to competition on January 12th, when they host the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational on campus.

#GoSUHornets

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Caleb Beiswenger: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Noah Godfrey: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Ethan Harrower: 5' 10"; Senior; Distance/ Mid-Distance

Katya Hoover: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; Jumps, Throws

Nathan Lee: 6' 4"; Junior

Madeline Lotts: 5' 3"; Senior; Distance, Middle Distance

Brenden Maloy: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Taylor McIntyre: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Tyler Mullen: 6' 4"; Junior

Amy Oleksy: 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Caleb Beiswenger
: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Noah Godfrey
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Ethan Harrower
: 5' 10"; Senior; Distance/ Mid-Distance

Katya Hoover
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; Jumps, Throws

Nathan Lee
: 6' 4"; Junior

Madeline Lotts
: 5' 3"; Senior; Distance, Middle Distance

Brenden Maloy
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Taylor McIntyre
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Tyler Mullen
: 6' 4"; Junior

Amy Oleksy
: 5' 8"; Junior

UP NEXT

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

Footer