NEW ORLEANS – Following a weekend of record-breaking performances in Kansas, the Harding men's track and field team has climbed into the national top 10, according to the latest NCAA Division II National Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) released Tuesday by the USTFCCCA.
The Bisons moved up five spots to No. 9 in the nation, totaling 64.73 points in the index.
National Leaders
Harding's rise into the top 10 is fueled by eight national-level performances, including four athletes currently ranked in the top five of their respective events.
Senior Yves Bilong leads the charge for the Bisons, sitting at No. 3 nationally in the triple jump. Bilong's leap of 15.55m (51-0.25) this past weekend at the Pittsburg State Invitational tied his own school record and earned 18.35 points toward the team's national score.
He is joined in the top five by:
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Vlad Malykhin (No. 4, Pole Vault): Malykhin's season-best clearance of 5.26m (17-3) from the Samford Invitational remains one of the premier marks in the country.
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Caledon Ruwende (No. 5, 200 Meters): Ruwende's blistering 21.10 set in January holds strong as the fifth-fastest time in Division II this season.
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Anton Kopytko (No. 5, Long Jump): Kopytko vaulted into the top five this week following his school-record leap of 7.49m (24-7) in Pittsburg.
Depth and Versatility
The Bisons' top-10 status is further bolstered by depth in the vertical and horizontal jumps. Freshman Nathan Boulay ranks No. 14 in the triple jump (14.98m), while Everett Mumme sits at No. 19 in the pole vault (5.06m). Senior Kylor Aguilar (No. 33, Pole Vault) and Ruwende (No. 41, 60 Meters) also contributed points to the national index.
Harding is one of six teams from the Central Region represented in the top 15, joined by regional powerhouses Pittsburg State (No. 2), Minnesota State (No. 5), Nebraska-Kearney (No. 10), Missouri Southern (No. 11), and Washburn (No. 12).
Looking Ahead
The No. 9 Bisons will look to strengthen their national standing this Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Wooo Pig Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The meet, held at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center, will provide another opportunity for Harding athletes to improve their marks before the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 13-14.
