28 Feb 2024 Nine from Harding qualify for Indoor Nationals

Posted at 3:44 PMh in Sports by

SEARCY — Harding will send seven individuals and one relay team to the Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Pittsburg State University on March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Below are Harding’s invitees:


Yves Bilong (Saint-Gilles, France), SO, Triple Jump

  • Bilong ranks seventh in Division II in the triple jump … his season-best jump was 15.55m (51-0.25) at the Arkansas Invitational on Jan. 12 is a school record.
  • Bilong is a two-time All-American … he was sixth at the 2023 indoor national meet with a mark of 15.13m (49-07.75) and sixth outdoors at 15.47m (50-09.25).
  • Bilong was Harding’s first All-American in program history in the indoor triple jump in 2023.
  • The triple jump competition is Saturday at 5:35 p.m.

Dakarai Bush (Tatum, Texas), SR, 400 meters

  • Bush ranks fourth in Division II in the 400 meters … his season-best time of 47.17 seconds at the 9th Annual Indoor Gorilla Classic on Feb. 9 is a school record.
  • Bush placed earned Second Team All-America in the indoor 400 meters last season with a time of 47.90 seconds.
  • Bush (2023) and Tyler Kemmerer (2004) have earned All-American honors for Harding in the 400 meters.
  • The 400-meter prelims are Friday at 4 p.m. with the final Saturday at 6 p.m.

Savian Bush (Tatum, Texas), JR, 60-meter hurdles

  • Bush ranks 17th in Division II in the 60-meter hurdles … his season-best time of 7.94 seconds came at the 9th Annual Indoor Gorilla Classic on Feb. 9.
  • It is Bush’s first nationals meet, either indoors or outdoors.
  • Harding has had two All-American in the 60-meter hurdles: Dakarai Bush in 2023 and national champion Dwayne Allen in 1981.
  • The 60-meter hurdle prelims are Friday at 2:30 p.m. with the final Saturday at 5 p.m.

Kelmen de Carvalho (Hechingen, Germany), SO, Heptathlon

  • De Carvalho ranks fifth in Division II in the heptathlon … his season-best score of 5,392 points at the Boo Rodgers Combined Events is a school record.
  • De Carvalho is making his first indoor nationals appearance … he finished 11th in the outdoor decathlon in 2023.
  • Harding has never had an All-American in the indoor heptathlon.
  • The heptathlon begins Friday at 10 a.m. and continues Saturday at noon.

Anton Kopytko (Dnipro, Ukraine), SO, Long Jump

  • Kopytko ranks 12th in Division II in the long jump … his season-best mark of 7.47m (24-6.25) at the Arkansas Invitational on Jan. 12, is a school record.
  • Kopytko is making his first appearance at indoor nationals.
  • Harding has never had an All-American in the indoor long jump.
  • The long jump begins Friday at 4:50 p.m.

Vlad Malykhin (Shostka, Ukraine), SO, Pole Vault

  • Malykhin leads Division II in the pole vault … his season-best clearance of 5.62m (18-5.25) at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 9, is a school record.
  • Malykhin won the indoor pole vault national championship in 2023, clearing 5.52m (18-1.25) at the national meet … he was also the outdoor national champion at 5.45m (17-10.50).
  • Harding has had 10 All-Americans in the indoor pole vault with Dorian Chaigneau (2021) and Malykhin (2023) winning national championships.
  • The pole vault begins Saturday at 4 p.m.

Josphat Meli (Eldoret, Kenya), FR, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters

  • Meli is ranked 14th in Division II in the 3,000 meters and 17th in the 5,000 meters … his season-best time of 8:00.95 in the 3,000 meters at the 9th Annual Indoor Gorilla Classic and 14:00.91 at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational are both school records.
  • Meli is making his first appearance at indoor nationals in both events.
  • Harding has only had one All-American in the 3,000 meters – Nehemia Too in 2018 … Harding has had nine All-Americans in the 5,000 meters, but none since Daniel Kirwa in 2009.
  • The 5,000 meters is Friday at 5:55 p.m., and the 3,000 meters is Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Dakarai Bush (SR), Bryan Singleton (SO), Derick St. Jean (JR) and Samuel Williams (JR), 4×400-meter relay

  • Harding ranks 12th in Division II in the 4×400-meter relay … Harding’s season-best time of 3:12.00 at the Arkansas Qualifier on Feb. 16, is a school record.
  • Harding has not qualified for indoor nationals in the 4×400-meter relay since 1996.
  • Harding has never earned All-America honors in the 4×400-meter relay.
  • The men’s 4×400-meter relay is Saturday at 7:45 p.m.

Harding freshman Omolara Ogunmakinju will represent the Lady Bisons at the Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Pittsburg State University on March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kansas.


Omolara Ogunmakinju (Akure, Nigeria), FR, 400 meters

  • Ogunmakinju ranks 13th in Division II in the 400 meters … her season-best time of 54.74 at the Rumble in the Jungle Invitational on Jan. 19, is a school record.
  • Ogunmakinju is making her first appearance at indoor nationals.
  • Harding has never had an All-American in the indoor 400 meters … Ogunmakinju is the first Lady Bison ever to qualify for indoor nationals in the event.
  • The women’s 400-meter prelims are Friday at 4:20 p.m. with the final Saturday at 6:10 p.m.