FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Benson Lingokal and senior Yves Bilong secured individual event victories Friday to lead the No. 8-ranked Harding men's track and field team at the Arkansas Qualifier, held at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center.
The meet served as the final regular-season opportunity for the Bisons to secure or improve national qualifying marks before the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in March.
Lingokal Dominates the 3,000 Meters
Fresh off shattering the school record in the 5,000 meters last week, Benson Lingokal proved his range by capturing the 3,000-meter run title. Lingokal crossed the finish line in 8:18.83, leading the field by a significant margin. The performance adds another elite mark to a freshman campaign that already includes an automatic qualifying time and a top-10 national ranking.
Triple Jump Trio Goes 1-3-4
Harding's nationally renowned triple jump unit dominated the competition, placing three athletes in the top four. Senior Yves Bilong took the event title with a leap of 15.38m (50-05.50) (+), a mark that reinforces his status as a top-five jumper in the country.
He was joined by freshmen Artem Konovalenko, who placed third at 14.98m (49-01.75), and Nathan Boulay, who finished fourth at 14.96m (49-01). All three Bisons secured NCAA provisional marks in the process.
Mumme Leads Vault Crew to Season Bests
In the pole vault, junior Everett Mumme delivered a standout performance, placing second overall. Mumme cleared a season-best height of 5.12m (16-09.50) (+), moving him further up the national performance list. Junior Isaac Hodges placed fourth with a clearance of 4.92m (16-01.75), while senior Kylor Aguilar took sixth at 4.77m (15-07.75).
Sprints and Throws
Sophomore Emmanuel Ragira turned in a strong performance in the 400-meter dash, placing 15th with an NCAA provisional time of 47.97 (+). Senior Donald Nwamere competed in the 60-meter dash, clocking a 7.00 in the preliminaries.
In the throwing circle, junior Kole Crawford led the Bisons with a seventh-place finish in the shot put, posting a mark of 15.56m (51-00.75). Freshman Nate Rivers followed in 13th with a toss of 14.54m (47-08.50).
Up Next With the regular season concluded, the Bisons will now wait for the NCAA to release the official field for the Indoor National Championships. Final selections are expected to be announced early next week.
