University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Málek and Jeju Reset School Records to Highlight Day One of Bulldog Invite
04.11.2025 | Track and Field
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville Track and Field team completed day one of the Bulldog Invite on Friday (April 11). Competing on home turf, the Bulldogs racked up two school record resets, three event wins, nine top-five finishes, and 15 personal bests.
SCHOOL RECORD RESETS AND TOP FINISHES
After breaking the school record last week, Nkosi Jeju reset the school record with an event-winning 7.28m jump in the men's long jump.
Jan Málek dropped his school record to 3:48.07, taking second overall in the men's 1,500m. Málek held the record at 3:48.89, set at the 49er Classic on March 21.
Aneta Kucerová opened her season with an event win in the women's 1,500m at 4:35.63. Kucerova's performance enters her at No. 5 on the All-Time list. Kucerová was joined by Isabel Richardson, who placed fourth in 4:41.14, and Nikole Baikova, who secured a personal best of 4:44.29 to take fifth place.
Paul Kirprotich won the men's 5,000m with a time of 14:56.48.
Shemarr Session cruised to a second-place finish in the men's 110m hurdles, setting a new personal best of 14.52. Session's time cements his spot at No. 4 in program records.
Jonas Roach took silver in the men's 3,000m steeple, setting a new personal best of 9:29.63.
Also taking silver was Sophie Lundin in the women's 5,000m, who worked her way up to the front of the field to cross the line in a personal best time of 17:53.86.
FIELD
Jaelyn Arnold threw a personal best distance of 44.97 meters in the women's hammer throw to take 6th place, moving from No. 5 to No. 4 on the All-Time list. Madison Hannah also had a personal best in the women's hammer throw, with a distance of 40.74 meters (15th), over a meter further than her previous top mark. Hanner also placed 20th in the women's shot put with 10.66 meters.
On the men's side, Chad Lasher placed 14th with 40.72 meters.
Aaron Higgins joined Jeju in the men's long jump, earning a 5th-place finish with a season's best of 6.73 meters. Gabe Matthews placed 11th with 6.42 meters.
Murielle Jeanite represented Asheville in the women's section, jumping to 20th with a distance of 4.87 meters.
TRACK
Ella Warren locked a top-ten finish in the women's 1,500m by placing eighth with a personal best time of 4:52.83, an impressive six seconds faster than her previous best. Payton Murphy placed 12th with a personal best of 4:58.92, followed by Ashley Keazer in 24th (5:20.79) and Maddie Hamuka in 25th (5:21.82).
It was a stacked men's 1,500m for Asheville, with four top-ten finishes and three personal bests. Hot on Málek's heels was Paul Kiprotich, who took third place in 3:50.29. Quinn Jaquez was the next Bulldog across the line in 3:54.20 (6th), kicking hard for a personal best. Adam Hessler took eighth spot in 3:55.96, followed by Jacoby Ennis with a four-second PR of 4:03.31 (15th).
Behind Ennis was Logan Russo (24th, 4:08.65), Tadiyos Sloan-Westmoreland (28th, 4:09.82), Andrew Okon (32nd, 4:11.92), Preston Core (35th, 4:12.68), Noah Jones (38th, 4:14.15), Lance Surles (4:15.68, 40th, SB) and Sam Hulsey (4:16.98, 42nd).
Nate Sullivan set a new season best of 15:30.82 to place sixth in the men's 5,000m. Sullivan was followed by Tadiyos Sloan-Westmoreland, who placed 15th in 15:57.27.
Francesca Cergol sprinted to seventh in a personal best time of 12.32 in the women's 110m. She was joined by Zoey Marrero (22nd, 12.85) and Ayanna Salters-Johnson (34th, 13.24).
Joining Lundin in the 5,000m was Madeline Wittschen, who set a new season's best of 18:31.13 to take sixth overall. Addi Corl placed 11th in 18:56.96, followed by Lauren Sochia in 16th with an 18-second personal best of 19:28.73. Eva Weaver placed 22nd with a personal best of 19:45.09, and Hanna Guyton placed 29th in 20:47.15.
Lee Kania took 13th (16.51) in the women's 100m Hurdles, joined by Madison Eaches, who locked a personal best of 19.05 to place 19th overall.
For full results from day one of the Bulldog Invite, click HERE
The Bulldogs will be back on the Karl Straus track tomorrow, April 12th, for the second and final day of the Bulldog Invite.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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