Records Fall for 14th-Ranked Harding Men's Track

SEARCY – The 14th-ranked Harding men's outdoor track and field team was in action at three meets over the weekend, sending participants to the Texas Relays in Austin, the Texas State Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, and the Southeast Missouri State Joey Haines Invitational in Cape Girardeau.

Harding's first new school record of the weekend came at the Texas Relays, where freshman Kelmen de Carvalho scored an NCAA provisional qualifying total of 6,866 points in the decathlon. He broke the previous record of 6,561 points, set by Matt Hipshire in 2022. De Calvalho's score is the best in Division II this season.

Junior Dakarai Bush recorded a provisional in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking a PR of 14.04 seconds. Freshman Vlad Malykhin cleared a season-best 5.31 meters or 17 feet, 5 inches, one of the top five heights in Division II this season.

The highlight of the Texas State meet for Harding came in the long jump, where freshman Anton Kopytko broke a 55-year-old school record. David Martin set the record at 24 feet, 2.50 inches in 1968 and held it until this weekend. Kopytko soared 7.41 meters or 24 feet, 3.75 inches. His jump ranks eighth in Division II this season.

Kopytko's mark was one of four NCAA provisional marks for Harding at Texas State. Junior Dakarai Bush ran a provisional 14.10 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. Sophomore Antiwain Jones cleared 2.07 meters or 6 feet, 9.50 inches in the high jump, and freshman Yves Bilong recorded a mark of 14.82 meters or 48 feet, 7.50 inches in the triple jump.

Harding added another provisional at Southeast Missouri State, where Ben Ferris won the pole vault. He cleared 4.90 meters or 16 feet, 0.75 inches.

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Players Mentioned

Matt Hipshire: Multi; 5' 11"; Senior

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

Ben Ferris: PV/J; 6' 2"; Senior

Antiwain Jones: J; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Yves Bilong: J; 6' 0"; Freshman

Kelmen de Carvalho: Multi; 6' 2"; Freshman

Anton Kopytko: J; 6' 4"; Freshman

Vlad Malykhin: PV; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Matt Hipshire
: 5' 11"; Senior
: Multi

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

Ben Ferris
: 6' 2"; Senior
: PV/J

Antiwain Jones
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: J

Yves Bilong
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: J

Kelmen de Carvalho
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: Multi

Anton Kopytko
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: J

Vlad Malykhin
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: PV