FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sophomore Caledon Ruwende and senior Vlad Malykhin delivered elite national performances Friday night, leading the No. 9-ranked Harding men's track and field team at the Arkansas Twilight on the campus of the University of Arkansas.
The meet served as a high-leverage opportunity for the Bisons to improve their national standing heading into the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.
Sprints and Hurdles
Ruwende turned in a career-defining performance in the 200-meter dash. Competing against a field primarily composed of Division I talent, Ruwende clocked a season-best time of 20.66 seconds. The mark significantly improves his standing on the national leaderboard, moving him to 10th in Division II. Ruwende also led the Bisons in the 100-meter dash, finishing fifth with a time of 10.47.
Senior Savian Bush, currently ranked second in the nation in the 110-meter hurdles, maintained his high level of consistency with a fourth-place finish in 13.97 seconds. Bush also anchored both Harding relay teams, leading the 4x100m (40.62) and 4x400m (3:12.02) squads to second-place finishes.
Vertical Mastery
The Bison pole vault contingent continued to prove why they are the deepest unit in the country. Vlad Malykhin won the event with a season-best clearance of 5.56m (18-02.75). Malykhin, who already ranks second in Division II, cleared the height on his second attempt before narrowly missing at 5.75m.
Junior Isaac Hodges also achieved a season-high, clearing 5.06m (16-07.25) to finish third. The performance moves Hodges up to 28th in the national rankings. Teammate Everett Mumme matched Hodges with a 5.06m clearance to finish fourth, while Kylor Aguilar placed fifth at 4.81m.
Field and Track Highlights
In the triple jump, senior Yves Bilong secured a second-place finish with a leap of 15.33m (50-03.50). Bilong currently holds the No. 2 mark in the country and remains a favorite for a national title. On the runway, freshman Camden Helms earned a second-place finish in the javelin with a toss of 58.29m (191-03).
On the track, Emmanuel Ragira led the Bisons in the 400 meters with an eighth-place finish in 47.69, while freshman Marek Krisica represented the distance crew with a 1:54.30 in the 800 meters.
Up Next
Harding will host the Mother's Day Last Chance Meet this Sunday at the Ted and Marcie Lloyd Track and Field Complex in Searcy. It will be the final opportunity for athletes to post qualifying marks before the NCAA selection committee announces the national field later next week.
