Skip To Main Content

Harding University Athletics

Harding University Athletics, go to homepage

Schedule

Events

Schedule
All Events
GAC Track and Field Champions

Men's Track and Field Scott Goode (5/6/23)

Harding's Men Win GAC Track and Field Championship

SEARCY – The new Ted Lloyd Track played host to the 2023 Great American Conference Track and Field Championship, and Harding's men christened the facility with a conference championship this weekend.

It was the 10th conference championship for Harding men's track and field, the fourth in the Great American Conference, and the team's second straight.

Below are the highlights of the meet for Harding's men:

Point total: 306, the most ever by a men's team at the GAC meet and the most ever by a Harding team at conference championship

Meet MVP: Harding's Dakarai Bush with 32.5 points … Bush also was the meet MVP last season

Coach of the Year: Harding's Don Hood, his second straight in men's track and field

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
100 meters – Tad Kirby, 10.30 … Harding's first conference champion in the event since Chris Hill in 1988 … fastest time by a Harding runner at the GAC meet, topping the previous best of 10.57 by Donatella Luckett in 2016
200 meters – Dakarai Bush, 20.83 … Bush's second straight conference championship in the 200 (21.45 in 2022) … fastest time by an HU runner at the GAC meet, topping his own mark last year
400 meters – Dakarai Bush, 46.02 … Harding's first conference champion in this event since Kent Smith won in 48.6 seconds in 1965, when the event was the 440-yard dash
110-meter hurdles – Dakarai Bush, 13.97 … his third straight conference championship in the event and became only the second Harding athlete ever to run under 14 seconds (Dwayne Allen, 13.81, 1981)
4x100-meter relay – Krishaun Watson, Tad Kirby, Davion Smith, Dakarai Bush, 40.34 … Harding's second-ever conference championship in the event and first since 1995
High Jump – Antiwain Jones, 2.12 meters or 6-11.50 … Harding's 17th conference championship in the high jump and Jones's second … highest clearance ever by a Harding athlete at a conference championship
Pole Vault – Vlad Malykhin, 5.71 meters or 18-8.75 … HU's eighth conference championship in the pole vault and third straight … his clearance is tied for the second-best height in NCAA Division II history and was the highest by an athlete from Ukraine in 12 years
Long Jump – Anton Kopytko, 7.16 meters or 23-6 … Harding's second conference championship in the event with Tad Kirby winning last season
Triple Jump – Yves Bilong, 15.74 meters or 51-7.75 … HU's eighth conference champion in the event … second straight with Nikolasz Csokas winning last year
Javelin – Casen Hammitt, 57.78 meters or 189-7 … HU's sixth javelin champion and second straight with Will Clark winning last year
Decathlon – Kelmen de Carvalho, 6,933 points … HU's fourth decathlon champion and second straight with Matt Hipshire winning last year

SCHOOL RECORDS:
100 meters – Tad Kirby, 10.30 … broke the previous record of 10.37, set by Tony McCoy in a meet at Harding in 1984
200 meters – Dakarai Bush, 20.83 … broke the previous record of 21.15, set by Tad Kirby at West Texas A&M in 2022
4x100-meter relay – Krishaun Watson, Tad Kirby, Davion Smith, Dakarai Bush, 40.34 … broke the previous mark of 41.11, set at Henderson State in 1984
Pole Vault – Vlad Malykhin, 5.71 meters or 18-8.75 … broke the previous record of 5.50 meters or 18 feet, 0.50 inches in 2022
Triple Jump – Yves Bilong, 15.74 meters or 51-7.75 … broke the previous record of 15.15 meters or 49-8.50 by Bruce Baldwin at Memphis State in 1979
Decathlon – Kelmen de Carvalho, 6,933 points … broke his own previous record of 6,866 points

GAC MEET RECORDS:
100 meters – Tad Kirby, 10.30 … broke the previous record of 10.36, set by Blake Bartlett of Oklahoma Baptist in 2016
400 meters – Dakarai Bush, 46.02 … broke the previous record of 47.35 by Shirvante Knauls of Oklahoma Baptist in 2022
110-meter hurdles – Dakarai Bush, 13.97 … broke the previous record of 14.22 by Brandon Crowley of Oklahoma Baptist in 2019
4x100-meter relay – Krishaun Watson, Tad Kirby, Davion Smith, Dakarai Bush, 40.34 … broke the previous record of 40.63 by Oklahoma Baptist in 2016
High Jump – Antiwain Jones, 2.12 meters or 6-11.50 … broke the previous record of Harding's Cameron Bienz of 2.11 meters in 2018
Pole Vault – Vlad Malykhin, 5.71 meters or 18-8.75 … broke the previous record of Harding's Dorian Chaigneau of 5.21 meters in 2022
Triple Jump – Yves Bilong, 15.74 meters or 51-7.75 … broke the previous record of 15.24 by Authur Jeffrey of Southern Arkansas in 2019
Javelin – Casen Hammitt, 57.78 meters or 189-7 … broke the previous record of 57.40 meters set by Harding's Will Clark in 2022
Decathlon – Kelmen de Carvalho, 6,933 points … broke the previous mark of 6,733 points by Hayden Ashley of Oklahoma Baptist in 2019

NCAA PROVISIONALS
100 meters – Tad Kirby, 10.30 … 16th nationally in Division II
200 meters – Dakarai Bush, 20.83 … 11th in Division II
200 meters – Tad Kirby, 21.18 … 41st in Division II
400 meters – Dakarai Bush, 46.02 … ranks 3rd in Division II with a season-best of 46.00
10,000 meters – Luke Walling, 30:07.32 … 57th in Division II
110 hurdles – Dakarai Bush, 13.97 … 10th in Division II
110 hurdles – Savian Bush, 14.27 … 34th in Division II
4x100-meter relay – Krishaun Watson, Tad Kirby, Davion Smith, Dakarai Bush, 40.34 … 17th in Division II
High Jump – Antiwain Jones, 2.12 meters or 6-11.50 … ranks 2nd in Division II with a season-best of 2.18 meters, 7-1.75
Pole Vault – Vlad Malykhin, 5.71 meters or 18-8.75 … leads Division II by more than nine inches
Pole Vault – Ben Ferris, 4.91 meters or 16-01.25 … ranks 19th in Division II at 5.00 meters
Pole Vault – Jonathan Wall, 4.91 meters or 16-01.25 … 23rd in Division II
Triple Jump – Yves Bilong, 15.74 meters or 51-7.75 … 6th in Division II
Discus – Kenneth Hatley, 51.34 meters or 168-5 … 29th in Division II
Decathlon – Kelmen de Carvalho, 6,933 points … 12th in Division II
Decathlon – Zalen Robinson, 6,389 points … 25th in Division II

GAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes: Caleb Chunn, Paxton Davis, Daniel Watrous and Tom Valente
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau

Dorian Chaigneau

PV
5' 7"
Sophomore
Will Clark

Will Clark

T
6' 0"
Senior
Matt Hipshire

Matt Hipshire

Multi
5' 11"
Senior
Dakarai Bush

Dakarai Bush

H/S
6' 2"
Senior
Savian Bush

Savian Bush

H
6' 2"
Sophomore
Caleb Chunn

Caleb Chunn

D
5' 8"
Sophomore
Nikolasz Csokas

Nikolasz Csokas

H
6' 4"
Junior
Paxton Davis

Paxton Davis

D
5' 11"
Junior
Ben Ferris

Ben Ferris

PV/J
6' 2"
Senior
Kenneth Hatley

Kenneth Hatley

T
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau

Dorian Chaigneau

5' 7"
Sophomore
PV
Will Clark

Will Clark

6' 0"
Senior
T
Matt Hipshire

Matt Hipshire

5' 11"
Senior
Multi
Dakarai Bush

Dakarai Bush

6' 2"
Senior
H/S
Savian Bush

Savian Bush

6' 2"
Sophomore
H
Caleb Chunn

Caleb Chunn

5' 8"
Sophomore
D
Nikolasz Csokas

Nikolasz Csokas

6' 4"
Junior
H
Paxton Davis

Paxton Davis

5' 11"
Junior
D
Ben Ferris

Ben Ferris

6' 2"
Senior
PV/J
Kenneth Hatley

Kenneth Hatley

6' 0"
Junior
T
© 2026 Harding University Athletics Box 12281 Searcy, AR 72149
Phone: 501-279-4760