BROOKINGS, SD –
Evelyn Dolce put an exclamation mark on her phenomenal freshman indoor season on Friday, winning the pole vault title at the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Brookings, South Dakota. Her win, the first indoor pole vault title in school history, highlighted a very strong second day at the national meet for the Warriors.
Dolce cleared 3.87m (12'8.25") on her first attempt to secure the win. Along with being the first national champion, she's the 6th indoor pole vault All-American in school history, the first since LaTonya Wilson in 2018.
Mason Murphy also supplied a big highlight on Friday, establishing a new school record (18.21m) in the weight throw on his way to an 8th place finish. He earns the program's first All-American honor, male or female, in the weight throw. His toss bettered the previous school record of 18.18m set by Daniel Buell in 2021.
With points for 15 of the 21 events still up for grabs on Saturday, the women find themselves in 3rd place at 15. Cumberlands (KY) leads with 22 and Central Methodist is 2nd at 16.
The men currently have just one point, but will look to surge up the ladder on Saturday. Cumberlands is also currently on top of the men's scoreboard with 27 points, half a point ahead of Midland at 26.5.
Additional highlights:
- Carlie Turner earned the day's first All-American honor with a fourth place finish in the women's long jump in 5.69m (18'8").
- Lisa Voyles (4:59.58) and Krista Boese (5:02.08) each qualified for the finals in the women's mile. Boese captured the last qualifying spot in a new PR and all-time #4 mark.
- Giulio Romano snuck into the final of the men's mile with a time of 4:17.96.
- Kiya Pogue sealed a spot in Saturday's final in the 60 hurdles in 8.47.
- Ahumad Williams (7.94) and Javon Sanders (8.03) both earned spots in the final with heat wins in the men's 60 hurdles.
- Soyinne Grenyion was the #1 qualifier in the women's 400m in 54.35. Kayla Moody ran a PR of 56.77 (all-time #15), but was just outside the qualifying spots.
- Jo'Deci Irby won her heat of the 600m in 1:32.85 to earn her spot in Saturday's final.
- Aaron Heisser grabbed the "big Q" with a heat win in the men's 600m in 1:19.63.
- Jamaya Warthen advances to Saturday's 60m final with a prelim mark of 7.47.
- Esau Haynes (6.73) and Davarri Barthell (6.75) won their heats of the men's 60m and will square off in the final. Barthell's ties the freshman record and moves him to #7 all-time in the event.
- The three-time defending champion in the 1000m, Voyles will try to make it a four-peat on Saturday after cruising to a prelim heat win in 2:55.33.
- Grenyion (23.45) and Warthen (23.71) earned a starting spot in Saturday's 200m final. Both marks were PR's and improve their existing #2 and #3 all-time records.
Saturday's final day action gets started for Indiana Tech with the women's mile. Gun time is 12:25 (CST).
