HU Men's Indoor Track Posts Seven Provisional Marks in Kansas

PITTSBURG, Kan. – One of the oldest school records on the books fell Friday as the Harding men's indoor track and field team placed second among seven teams at the Rumble in the Jungle Invitational, hosted by Pittsburg State University. Harding compiled 137.5 points, second only to host Pittsburg State.

Freshman Yves Bilong, competing in his first meet for Harding, broke the school's indoor triple jump record, held by Bruce Baldwin since 1979. Bilong, a native of France, won the event with a mark of 15.39 meters or 50 feet, 6 inches, breaking the old record of 48 feet, 8.50 inches.

Bilong's mark was also the first provisional mark of his career, the minimum standard required to qualify for the national meet. His leap of 50 feet, 6 inches ranks fourth in Division II this season.

Bilong was one of six Harding athletes to record seven provisional marks at the Rumble.

Junior Dakarai Bush posted two provisional times Friday. He clocked a time of 48.23 seconds in the 400 meters and 7.99 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. It was his first career provisional in the 400 meters and second in the 60-meter hurdles. Bush currently ranks sixth in Division II in the 60-meter hurdles and seventh in the 400 meters.

Sophomore Antiwain Jones matched his provisional height of 2.06 meters or 6 feet, 9 inches last week in the high jump at Arkansas with an event victory Friday with the same height. It was his fourth career victory indoors. Jones is ranked 18th nationally in the high jump.

Harding collected two provisional heights in the pole vault. Freshman Vlad Malykhin won his first collegiate meet by clearing 5.00 meters or 16 feet, 4.75 inches. Junior Jonathan Wall cleared 4.90 meters or 16 feet, 0.75 inches to top the provisional standard for the third consecutive indoor season. Malykhin ranks seventh in Division II in the pole vault with Wall just behind him in ninth.

Another newcomer, Anton Kopytko, recorded a provisional mark in the long jump with a leap of 7.13 meters or 23 feet, 4.75 inches. Kopytko is 30th in Division II in the long jump.

Harding earned an event victory in the 4x400-meter hurdles. The team of Bryan Singleton, Tad Kirby, Savian Bush, Dakarai Bush won in 3:19.92.

Kirby also broke his own school record in the 200 meters. He finished in 22.00 seconds, trimming .08 seconds off the previous record set last season.

Below is a list of Harding's scoring athletes in the meet:

60 meters
Kareem Small, 6.90, 3rd place (6 points)
Tad Kirby, 6.93, 4th place (5 points)

200 meters
Tad Kirby, 22.00, 3rd place (6 points)

400 meters
Dakarai Bush, 48.23, 4th place (5 points)

Mile
Noah Haileab, 4:17.46, 5th place (4 points)

3,000 meters
Arnaud des Boscs, 8:44.91, 2nd place (8 points)
Luke Walling, 8:48.15, 3rd place (6 points)

60-meter hurdles
Dakarai Bush, 7.99, 3rd place (6 points)
Savian Bush, 8.36, 4th place (5 points)

4x400-meter relay
Singleton, Kirby, S. Bush, D. Bush, 3:19.92, 1st place (10 points)

High Jump
Antiwain Jones, 2.06m, 6-9, 1st place (10 points)
Jacob Cantrell, 1.85m, 6-0.75, 7th place (2 points)

Pole Vault
Vlad Malykhin, 5.00m, 16-4.75, 1st place (10 points)
Jonathan Wall, 4.90m, 16-0.75, 2nd place (8 points)
Kylor Aguilar, 4.70m, 15-5, 3rd place (6 points)
Isaac Nirella, 4.40m, 14-5.25, 5th place (3.5 points)
Brandon Hanoch, 4.40m, 14-5.25, 7th place (2 points)

Long Jump
Anton Kopytko, 7.13m, 23-4.75, 3rd place (6 points)
Yves Bilong, 6.82m, 22-4.5, 6th place (3 points)
Kelmen de Carvalho, 6.79m, 22-3.5, 8th place (1 point)

Triple Jump
Yves Bilong, 15.39m, 50-6, 1st place (10 points)
Daniel Osoba, 13.95m, 45-9.25, 5th place (4 points)

Shot Put
Moses Rivera, 13.09m, 42-11.5, 6th place (3 points)
Spencer Helms, 12.96m, 42-6.25, 7th place (2 points)
Seth West, 12.71m, 41-8.5, 8th place (1 point)

Weight Throw
Kenneth Hatley, 14.76m, 48-5.25, 5th place (4 points)
Avery Forte, 14.06m, 46-1.5, 8th place (1 point)

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Players Mentioned

Dakarai Bush: H/S; 6' 2"; Sophomore

Spencer Helms: T; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Tad Kirby: S; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Moses Rivera: Multi; 5' 9"; Junior

Jonathan Wall: PV; 5' 9"; Sophomore

Kylor Aguilar: PV; 5' 9"; Freshman

Seth West: T; 6' 5"; Freshman

Jacob Cantrell: Multi; 6' 4"; Freshman

Luke Walling: D; 5' 10"; Freshman

Savian Bush: H; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Dakarai Bush
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: H/S

Spencer Helms
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: T

Tad Kirby
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: S

Moses Rivera
: 5' 9"; Junior
: Multi

Jonathan Wall
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: PV

Kylor Aguilar
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: PV

Seth West
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: T

Jacob Cantrell
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: Multi

Luke Walling
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: D

Savian Bush
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: H