Men's Track and Field 3/7/2023 2:55:00 PM Scott Goode (3/7/23)

HU Men's Indoor Track Sends Four to Nationals; Three Earn All-Region

SEARCY – Three members of the Harding men's indoor track and field team received All-Central Region honors Tuesday from the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association and four members of the team have received invitations to the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships on Mar. 10-11 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Harding's honorees were freshman triple jumper Yves Bilong, sophomore high jumper Antiwain Jones and freshman pole vaulter Vlad Malykhin. That trio along with junior Dakarai Bush are Harding's entries into nationals. Bush will compete in both the 400-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles.

The top five individuals in each event from each region earned the All-Region distinction, in addition to each member of the region's top three relay teams.

Bilong, a native of Saint-Gilles, France, ranked third in the Central Region in the triple jump with a school-record mark of 15.39 meters or 50 feet, 6 inches. It is Harding's first all-region honor in the triple jump. Bilong is seeded seventh in the triple jump at indoor nationals. Tquan Moore (1993, 1994) is the only Harding athlete ever to reach indoor nationals in the triple jump.

Jones, who hails from Marianna, Arkansas, ranked third in the Central Region in the high jump with a school-record height of 2.15 meters or 7 feet, 0.50 inches. He is the second Harding high jumper to earn all-region honors, joining Logan Callier in 2011. Jones is seeded seventh in the high jump at indoor nationals.

Harding has quite a history at indoor national meets in the high jump. Tom Bateman was the 1966 NAIA national champion in the high jump, Harding's first individual national champion. Bateman's All-America honor was the first of six that Harding has earned in the high jump. The other Bison All-American high jumpers include Keith Herring (1982), Te Howard (1987, 1988, 1989) and Bill Baker (1988).

Malykhin, of Shostka, Ukraine, led the Central Region in the pole vault with a school-record height of 5.32 meters or 17 feet, 5.50 inches. It is the third consecutive season that Harding has had at least one all-region pole vaulter. Other Harding all-region pole vaulters include Josh Winslager (2011), Dorian Chaigneau (2021, 2022) and Austin Parrish (2022). Malykhin is seeded second in the pole vault at indoor nationals.

Harding has more indoor All-America honors—10—in the pole vault than any other field event. In 2021, Dorian Chaigneau was Harding's first indoor national champion in the pole vault. Other Harding All-Americans in the pole vault include: Kylor Aguilar (2022), Perry Fraley (1979), Mike Lynch (1979, 1980), Austin Parrish (2022), Jimmy Sloan (1989, 1991) and Ed Van der Kaaij (1986).

Bush, a native of Tatum, Texas, is seeded 10th in the 400 meters at indoor nationals and 13th in the 60-meter hurdles. He will be looking to become the first Harding All-American in the 400 meters since Tyler Kemmerer in 2004 and the first in a hurdles event since Dwayne Allen won the 60-yard hurdles national championship in 1981.

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