13 Dec 2023 Harding’s Men post three provisionals at Pittsburg State

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Harding men’s indoor track and field got its 2023-24 season underway over the weekend with a pair of competitions at Pittsburg State University.

On Friday and Saturday, Harding sophomore Kelmen de Carvalho earned a third-place finish among 17 competitors in the heptathlon as part of the Boo Rogers Combined Events meet.

De Carvalho scored an NCAA provisional 5,392 points, a new personal record. He had PRs in five of the seven events, and his long jump mark of 7.11 meters or 23 feet, 4 inches and his shot put throw of 14.88 meter of 48 feet, 10 inches were the best among the 17 athletes.

To qualify for indoor nationals later in the season, athletes must have reached an NCAA provisional mark and rank among the top 20 in Division II.

On Saturday, at the Crimson and Gold Invitational, Harding turned in two more provisionals. The 4×400-meter relay team of Bryan Singleton, Tad Kirby, Savian Bush and Derek St. Jean placed third in 3:14.18, only .17 seconds off the Harding school record. Senior Jonathan Wall placed fifth in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.82 meters or 15 feet, 9.75 inches.

Harding’s men had two other top-10 finishes. Singleton, a sophomore, placed 10th in the 300 meters in 34.67 seconds, and sophomore Anton Kopytko was eighth in the long jump with a mark of 7.12 meters or 23 feet, 4.50 inches, just off his school record of 23-6.

The top finisher for Harding’s women was sophomore Lisa Retailleau, who came in third in the 600 yards with a time of 1:24.56. Senior Mariah Miller was sixth in the triple jump at 11.56 meters or 37 feet, 11.25 inches. Freshman Ally Cheek was eighth in the high jump at 1.60 meters or 5 feet, 3 inches, and freshman Paula Pelzer was ninth in the 300 meters in 40.07 seconds.

The weekend’s event was the first of six indoor team meets for Harding. The next is the Arkansas Invitational on Jan. 12 in Fayetteville, Ark.