Point Park’s indoor track and field teams traveled to Bronx, N.Y., and Ashland, Oh., on Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 24, for the Dr. Sander Scorcher Invitational and Ashland Collegiate Invitational.
The women started day one of the New York competition on Friday, Jan. 23, with the 3000-meter race where Cassondra O’Connor, who was awarded Mountain East Conference Women’s Runner of the Year honors in 2025, placed 36th in the race but third in school history with a time of 10 minutes and 0.79 seconds.
Dunya Van den Tooren was a lead performer on day one, earning first place in the triple jump with a reach of 11.73 meters, a number that would also place her second in school history.
The triple jump event included two more women who had notable performances for Point Park. Khady Ndiaye placed sixth with a reach of 10.93 meters. Tanais Rojas placed eighth in the event and fifth in school history with a reach of 10.85 meters.
As for the men, they also had an eventful first day in the Bronx with a broken school record and a second-place finish in school history books.
The distance medley relay team of Pedro Lemos, Maxwell Eaton, Chase Bowen and Elijah Bechdel came through with a record-breaking performance of 10:10.27 to top Point Park’s history books, which earned them second place in the meet.
“I enjoyed running in the DMR as the 800 leg, it truly feels special running for my teammates in a relay and it makes me want to run harder because I know they’re giving their best out there as well,” Bowen said.
Aike Van der Lei came in 16th place in the 3000-meter race with a time of 8:47.48, which put him second in school history.
“I feel like [this race] was probably my best race in a Point Park uniform to date,” Van der Lei said. “Outside of the performance itself, the race tactics me and [teammate Luke McKenna] discussed beforehand really paid off to bring us both college personal bests, we showed strong teamwork within the race and used each other’s strengths to run a fast race.”
Van der Lei revealed that the high-stakes nature of the invitational brought on an extra level of nerves.
“The moments before the race were a disaster for me, I was nauseous, unable to speak to others and completely overruled by pressure to perform,” Van der Lei said. “The legendary Armory track was a place I did not want to feel like I failed anyone or myself.”
Also in the 3000 meter, Luke McKenna placed 25th with a time of 8:50.82.
Three other Point Park men brought notable performances, as Gavin Glass placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.65, Akeem Mustapha placed 20th in the 60-meter invite with a time of 7.08, and Christian Reid placed 19th in the 60-meter open with a time of 7.25.
The two teams did not lose their momentum going into day two of the Dr. Sander Scorcher Invitational, as they continued to make school history.
Emma Roemer was one of two runners to place fourth in school history with her performance in the 200-meter race. Roemer placed 17th in the event with her time of 26.23. Roemer also participated in the long jump and placed fifth with a reach of 5.06 meters.
“I am positively surprised with hitting such fast times so early on in the season,” Roemer said. “My goal for the indoor season was to run an 8.99 by indoor conferences. Little did I know that I would be able to hit that at the second meet already.”
O’Connor was the second woman to make history on the day with the mile event, placing 35th with her time of 5:14.51.
The men had three notable performers on day two, all of whom earned their spot in the university’s record books.
Maxwell Eaton placed fourth in the 200-meter with a time of 22.43, which put him in fifth in school history. For the mile, Chase Bowen placed 11th in the event with a time of 4:17.69, a time that earned him third in the school books.
“Before the mile I was just telling myself: I am in this heat for a reason,” Bowen said. “[During the race], I focus on trying to stay calm early on in the race for as long as possible and when it gets hard, try to stay smooth.”
Finally, Akeem Mustapha, who is the current school record holder for the long jump, got second in the event with a reach of 7.01 meters.
On that same Saturday, the Pioneers also participated in the Ashland Collegiate Invitational. The women had two top-10 placements and four top-25 placements in their respective events.
The shot put event proved to be a strong suit for the women with three finishers in the top 15. Alexis Heller placed seventh with 11.77 meters, Gabriella Wesney followed at eighth with 11.67 meters and Katie Dolinski finished 12th with 10.96 meters.
Heller also participated in the weight throw, where she placed 19th with 11.91 meters. Also in the weight throw was Jenna Manson, who placed 22nd with 11.69 meters. Finally for the women, Miriam Klaunig placed 21st in the high jump with a height of 1.37 meters.
As for the men at the Ashland Invite, four athletes placed in the top 20 of their respective events, with two placing in the top five in school history.
Jonah Schneider and Ben Williams placed 19th and 20th in the shot put event with 14.04 and 13.95 meters, respectively. They also earned themselves fourth and fifth in school history with those marks.
More notable athletes include Jacob Preston, placing 13th in the mile with 4:28.78, and Michael Quigley, placing 18th in the long jump with 6.17 meters.
Moving forward, indoor track and field will go back to Youngstown, Oh., for the YSU Collegiate Mid-Major on Friday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 31.
