By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Fort Hays State track and field teams delivered an impressive performance at the Rumble in the Jungle Invitational, highlighted by individual victories, NCAA Division II provisional marks, and multiple point-scoring efforts. The men’s team secured a fifth-place finish with 44 team points, while the women’s team tied for ninth with 18 points in a highly competitive field.
The men’s team showcased a balanced effort across track and field events. Christian Darrah headlined the day by capturing gold in the mile run, clocking an impressive time of 4:11.89 to earn 10 points. Teammate Brady Stegman also contributed to the team total with an eighth-place finish in 4:20.52, adding one more point.
Hayden Albright had a standout performance, finishing third in the 200m dash with a blazing time of 21.47, earning 6 points and achieving an NCAA Division II provisional mark. Albright followed up by placing sixth in the 400m dash, clocking 48.49 to add 3 more points to his tally. The Tigers’ sprint crew showed their depth in the 60m dash prelims, with both Hayden and Avrey Albright narrowly missing the finals after identical times of 6.91.
The Tigers were dominant in the pole vault, where Jacob Clark claimed first place by clearing 16-8.00, securing 10 points and meeting the NCAA Division II provisional standard. Josiah Bell added to the team’s success in the event with a fifth-place finish, vaulting 15-8.25 to collect 4 points, while Brady Deges placed seventh with a mark of 15-2.25, contributing 2 additional points.
The men’s 4x400m relay team of Avrey Albright, Hayden Albright, Drew Tolar, and Maayan Paz delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth with a time of 3:16.81, earning 5 points for the Tigers.
The women’s team was led by a stellar performance from Emily Diercks, who dominated the 3,000m run with a winning time of 9:52.99, earning 10 points. Diercks’ impressive finish set the tone for the Tigers on the track as she notched a provisional mark as well. Sprinter Reba Mader and hurdler Donna Jackson both had solid outings, narrowly missing point-scoring positions. Mader finished 10th in the 400m dash with a time of 57.56, while Jackson placed 13th in the 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 9.34.
In the pole vault, Annabeth Baalmann cleared 12-4.50 to finish fifth, earning 4 points and hitting the NCAA Division II provisional mark. Meanwhile, in the weight throw, Emma Slade recorded a strong fifth-place finish with a toss of 51-0.00, securing 4 more points for the Tigers.
The Tigers will return to action next weekend at the Washburn Open, scheduled for Friday (Jan. 31) through Saturday (Feb. 1) in Topeka, Kan. and the Charlie Foster Classic in Kearney, Neb.
Full FHSU Results
Men’s
60m Dash Prelims
12th – Hayden Albright – 6.91
13th – Avrey Albright – 6.91
18th – Kenny Fritsch – 6.97
20th – Eddie McVay – 6.97
21st – Ajai Holmes – 6.97
29th – Toby Wahlmeier – 7.06
34th – Nakari Morrical-Palmer – 7.11
200m Dash
3rd – Hayden Albright – 21.47 #
12th – Avrey Albright – 22.02
14th – Toby Wahlmeier – 22.03
23rd – Kenny Fritsch – 22.33
33rd –Nakari Morrical-Palmer – 22.70
36th – Eddie McVay – 22.79
400m Dash
6th – Hayden Albright – 48.49
600y Run
13th – Maayan Paz – 1:15.40
800m Run
22nd – Emery Wolfe – 1:58.62
32nd – Daniel Little – 2:02.31
35th – Ian Weich – 2:02.83
60m Hurdles Prelims
14th – Nolan Churchman – 8.60
17th – Drew Tolar – 8.96
Mile Run
1st – Christian Darrah – 4:11.89
8th – Brady Stegman – 4:20.52
17th – Ian Weich – 4:25.30
22nd – Daniel Bechle – 4:28.76
27th – Kaiden Esfeld – 4:31.33
3,000m Run
6th – Jaret Pfizenmaier – 8:36.90
11th – Noah Morenz – 8:44.19
16th – Chayse McCullough – 8:54.62
35th – Kaiden Esfeld – 9:09.52
Long Jump Finals
15th – Dean Clark – 21-7.50
16th – Ethan Salmans – 21-4.00
21st – Drew Tolar – 19-9.50
Pole Vault
1st – Jacob Clark – 16-8.00 #
5th – Josiah Bell – 15-8.25
7th – Brady Deges – 15-2.25
11th – Nolan Churchman – 15-2.25
12th – Kurtis McCormick – 14-8.50
Shot Put
25th – Ethan Salmans – 36-2.25
27th – Drew Tolar – 35-1.75
4x400m Relay
4th – Avrey Albright, Hayden Albright, Drew Tolar, Maayan Paz – 3:16.81
24th – Emery Wolfe, Daniel Little, Ian Weich, Brady Stegman – 3:34.34
Women’s
60m Dash Prelims
23rd – Reba Mader – 8.06
33rd – Donna Jackson – 8.25
41st – Chloe Mader – 8.36
400m Dash
10th – Reba Mader – 57.56
800m Run
15th – Eden Bathurst – 2:24.55
60m Hurdles
13th – Donna Jackson – 9.34
19th – Chloe Mader – 9.55
30th – Elysia Kunkler – 10.26
33rd – Kylin Rudzik – 10.44
Mile Run
15th – Alayna Cossart – 5:23.14
33rd – Brenna Murphy – 5:33.70
46th – Madison Sutterfield – 5:44.69
3,000m Run
1st – Emily Diercks – 9:52.99 #
12th – Ashlyn Harbaugh – 10:30.54
19th – Abbye Hudson – 10:39.73
30th – Arely Maldonado – 11:07.85
Long Jump
10th – Jayme Hagerman – 16-8.50
17th – Abby Rueschhoff – 15-8.25
Triple Jump
11th – Jayme Hagerman – 35-6.00
13th – Brynlee Frank – 35-0.75
Pole Vault
5th – Annabeth Baalmann – 12-4.50 #
13th – Piper Robinson – 10-8.75
Shot Put
13th – Liberty Booker – 39-5.50
23rd – Emma Slade – 36-9.00
Weight Throw
5th – Emma Slade – 51-0.00
14th – Liberty Booker – 47-10.00
25th – Kieran Burke – 40-11.00