Six school records fall at Heart Indoor Track and Field Championships
MARYVILLE, Mo. - Nearing the close of their indoor portion of the 2025-26 schedule, the Clarke University track and field teams produced an eighth place men's finish and 11th place women's finish at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships on Friday and Saturday in Maryville, Mo.
The Pride produced three total podium finishes including the sixth conference championship in seven tries so far by senior Grace Squires in the women's pole vault as the White Bear Lake, Minn. native won the event with a top height clearance of 3.25 meters, besting the runner-up by .15 meters, but falling just shy of an NAIA Championship qualifying mark of 3.55 meters in her three attempts at that mark.
Joining Squires on the podium of their respective events was her men's counterpart in the pole vault in Keifer Landes, who was able to clear 4.45 meters again this season to finish as the runner-up in the men's pole vault by .15 meters himself while women's senior Isabelle Matthews jumped to a runner-up in the high jump with her best height clearance finishing at 1.61 meters, falling just .05 meters shy of first.
Beyond that group of three, Clarke was able to break six school records over the two-day meet with three relays and three individuals setting new program best marks starting on Friday's competition when the men's 4x800 meter relay team of Chesney Capron, Bryce Kondos, Charles Juntunen III, and Cord Nietert ran a 7:57.76 as freshman Ja'kobe Kizer continued the strong start to his collegiate career with a new tirple jump school record distance of 14.15 meters.
On Saturday, more more records fell as two more men's relays ran CU best marks with the same four of the 4x800 meter team also broke the distance medley relay record with a 10:38.74 then the 4x400 meter team of Joshua Musonda, Jake Etherington, Nietert, and John Raven ran to a 3:22.41 as Raven also broke the 400-meter school record with his individual race time of 49.47 seconds.
Women's senior Jaycie Franco topped her own school record time again this season in the 1,000 meters with a 3:08.17 time to finish in eighth place to add a point to the team school in the final standings.
Full Clarke results can be found here: https://results.blacksquirreltiming.com/meets/61066/teams/1475265
Both Landes and sprinter Gavayne Smith will be the CU representative at the NAIA Championship in Gainesville, Fla. with Smith participating in the 60-meter dash prelims on Friday, Mar. 6 with a chance to move onto Saturday's finals when Landes will also be competing in the pole vault on Mar. 7.