28 May 2025 Harding men place fifth at Nationals
SEARCY — Harding men’s and women’s track and field competed last week at the NCAA Division II Championships in Pueblo, Colorado. Harding’s men entered the meet ranked No. 8 nationally, and Harding’s women were ranked No. 23.

Team Scores after Day 2
Harding Men: 37 points, 5th place
Harding Women: 4 points, 45th place
Thursday, May 22
Name Event Time Result Place
Kelmen de Carvalho Decathlon 11:30 a.m. DNF DNF
Kylor Aguilar Pole Vault (final) 12:05 p.m. 15-9.75 18th of 22
Vlad Malykhin Pole Vault (final) 12:05 p.m. 18-1.25 1st of 22
Everett Mumme Pole Vault (final) 12:05 p.m. 16-3.25 11th of 22
Harding men 4×100 Relay (prelim) 5:55 p.m. 39.65 (Q) 4th of 16
Anton Kopytko Long Jump (final) 6:30 p.m. 24-8.25 7th of 22
Tetiana Kharashchuk 400 meters (prelim) 6:40 p.m. 53.85 (DNQ) 12th of 22
Omolara Ogunmakinju 400 meters (prelim) 6:40 p.m. 56.61 (DNQ) 21st of 22
Olaolu Olatunde 100 meters (prelim) 7:25 p.m. 10.00 (Q) 2nd of 22
Lisa Retailleau 400 hurdles (prelim) 8:40 p.m. 59.37 (Q) 5th of 22
- Harding junior Vlad Malykhin won his sixth national championship in the pole vault, his third outdoors … it was also his sixth All-America honor.
- Harding sophomore Everett Mumme earned Second Team All-America with his 11th-place finish … earned his first All-America honor in his first trip to outdoor nationals.
- Harding’s 4×100-meter relay team of Hayes Cox, Donald Nwamere, Derick St. Jean and Olaolu Olatunde set a school record at 39.65 seconds, the first sub-40 seconds time in program history, and qualified for Saturday’s final.
- Freshman Olaolu Olatunde broke his own school record with a time of 10.00 in the 100-meter prelims and qualified for the final on Saturday at 7:50 p.m.
- Junior Anton Kopytko placed seventh in the long jump to earn his second outdoor All-America honor and third overall.
- Junior Lisa Retailleau placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles prelims and qualified for the final on Saturday at 8:25 p.m.
Friday, May 23
Name Event Time Result Place
Kiera Blankinship High Jump (final) 5:45 p.m. 5-6 t-10th of 19
Spencer Helms Discus (final) 6 p.m. 187-6 3rd of 21
Lukas Stiper Discus (final) 6 p.m. 180-6 7th of 21
Yves Bilong Triple Jump (final) 6:05 p.m. 51-11 6th of 21
Olaolu Olatunde 200 meters (prelim) 6:45 p.m. 20.39 (Q) 4th of 22
Caledon Ruwende 200 meters (prelim) 6:45 p.m. 21.16 (DNQ) 18th of 22
Harding women 4×400 Relay (prelim) 8:50 p.m. DNS
- Blankinship earned her second straight outdoor All-America honor with her 10th-place finish in the high jump.
- Spencer Helms and Lukas Stiper both earned All-America honors in the discus.
- Yves Bilong earned his second outdoor All-America in the triple jump and fourth overall.
- Olaolu Olatunde set the Harding record in the 200 meters and qualified for Saturday’s final.
Saturday, May 24
Name Event Time Result Place
Cadence Sansom Pole Vault (final) 12 p.m. 12-10.5 10th of 19
Casen Hammitt Javelin (final) 3:45 p.m. 200-10 18th of 22
Harding men 4×100 relay (final) 2:10 p.m. 39.72 3rd of 7
Hanna Onufriieva Triple Jump (final) 2:20 p.m. 41-5.5 10th of 22
Karyna Vehner Triple Jump (final) 2:20 p.m. 40-4.25 17th of 22
Olaolu Olatunde 100 meters (final) 3:40 p.m. 9.95 2nd of 9
Lisa Retailleau 400 hurdles (final) 4:15 p.m. 59.03 5th of 9
Olaolu Olatunde 200 meters (final) 4:45 p.m. FS
- Cadence and Hanna both earned Second Team All America honors. Lisa was First Team.
- The 4×100 and Olaolu in the 100 both earned First Team. Olaolu’s 9.95 was a school record.