17 Jun 2026 Global Elites: Seven Bisons ranked among top 500 in the world

Posted at 6:33 PMh in Sports by

SEARCY — Following another legendary campaign on the national stage, the Harding men’s track and field program has made its mark on a global scale.

Seven members of the Bisons’ track and field program finished the 2026 outdoor season ranked among the top 500 athletes in the world in their respective events, according to the official world rankings released by World Athletics (WorldAthletics.org).

Led by senior pole vault powerhouse Vlad Malykhin, who secured a jaw-dropping spot inside the top 100 globally, the seven international standout performers put a exclamation point on a season that saw Harding secure its third consecutive top-five team finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.

Malykhin Commands Global Top-100 Status

Senior Vlad Malykhin capped off one of the most decorated careers in collegiate track history by earning the highest global ranking on the team, landing at No. 65 in the world in the men’s pole vault. The Shostka, Ukraine native, who captured his fourth consecutive outdoor national title (and eighth national title overall) in May, cleared a season-best 5.56 meters (18-03.00) at the Arkansas Twilight.

Joining Malykhin in the global top 300 is junior teammate Everett Mumme (Satellite Beach, Florida), who checked in at No. 297 in the world in the pole vault. Mumme secured First Team All-America honors in May with a career-best clearance of 5.46 meters (17-11.00), solidifying Harding’s pole vault group as one of the elite training squads in the world.

Horizontal Jumpers Take Over the Top 400

Harding’s historic jumps crew put on a clinic this season, placing three horizontal jumpers inside the global top 400:

  • Yves Bilong (No. 198 – Triple Jump): The senior from Saint-Gilles, France finished his collegiate career ranked in the top 200 in the world. Bilong captured the NCAA Division II outdoor national title in May with a legendary leap of 16.16 meters (53-00.25).
  • Artem Konovalenko (No. 266 – Triple Jump): Fresh off an outstanding freshman campaign, the Odessa, Ukraine native joined his training partner Bilong in the world rankings. Konovalenko finished fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a career-best mark of 15.81 meters (51-10.50).
  • Anton Kopytko (No. 364 – Long Jump): The senior from Dnipro, Ukraine finished his third consecutive outdoor national campaign ranked comfortably inside the top 400. Kopytko secured the national silver medal in May with a season-best jump of 7.63 meters (25-0.50) on his lone attempt before being sidelined by injury.

Track Standouts Solidify World Ranking

The Bisons’ presence spanned across the track as well, with elite performances in both the hurdles and the distance events:

  • Savian Bush (No. 321 – 110m Hurdles): The senior from Tatum, Texas clocked a blistering season-best and school-record time of 13.59 seconds at the Bryan Phillips Open. Bush closed out his decorated career with a fifth-place finish at the national meet to secure his place among the world’s fastest high hurdlers.
  • Benson Lingokal (No. 408 – 10,000 Meters): Freshman sensation Benson Lingokal made a splash in his debut season, ranking in the world’s top 500 in the grueling 25-lap event. The Eldoret, Kenya native posted a personal-best time of 28:45.43 at the Bryan Clay Invitational and went on to claim Second Team All-America honors at the national meet.

The global rankings serve as the final chapter of a historic year for Harding track and field. Behind these historic performances, the Bisons accumulated 43 points to place fifth at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in May, ensuring the program’s elite status remains firmly intact.For more information and complete coverage of Harding track and field, visit HardingSports.com.