BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore Caledon Ruwende and senior Vlad Malykhin turned in legendary performances Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex, leading the Harding men's track and field team to three event titles and six NCAA provisional marks at the Samford Invitational.

Ruwende Rewrites the Record Books

Caledon Ruwende delivered the performance of the day on the track, winning the 200-meter dash in a blistering 21.10 seconds. The time officially breaks the Harding school record of 21.33 set by Dakarai Bush in 2024. Ruwende's mark is not only the fastest in program history but also ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division II this season.

The sophomore standout wasn't finished there; he also reached the 60-meter dash finals, clocking a personal-best 6.83 seconds to finish sixth. That time is a provisional qualifier and ranks No. 34 nationally.

Malykhin Claims National No. 1

In the field, All-American Vlad Malykhin made a statement in his season debut. Malykhin won the pole vault with a clearance of 5.26 meters (17-03.00), the highest mark in Division II this year.

Malykhin's victory led a dominant "Vault Squad" performance that saw three Bisons hit national marks. Junior Everett Mumme took second place at 5.06m (16-07.25), moving to No. 9 in the nation, while senior Kylor Aguilar finished sixth at 4.86m (15-11.25) to secure his own provisional qualifying spot.

More National Marks in the Pits

Harding's jumpers continued the momentum with two additional Top-20 national performances:

• Triple Jump: Freshman Nathan Boulay finished fourth with a leap of 14.98 meters (49-01.75). His debut mark is a provisional qualifier and ranks No. 3 in the country.

• Long Jump: Senior school-record holder Anton Kopytko won the event title with a mark of 7.25 meters (23-09.50), moving him to No. 11 nationally.

Harding Men's NCAA Provisional Qualifiers - Samford Inv.