INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The HU Indoor Track & Field program will be well represented at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships set for February 29 – March 2 at Dakota State University’s Sanford Jackrabbit Athlete Complex in Brookings, S.D.

The Forester women, last year’s national runner-up, are entered in three running events and three field events with senior Erica Xayarath leading the way as one of the nation’s top jumpers.

Xayarath will represent HU in long jump and high jump as the #6 seed in both events as well as triple jump where she is picked to finish 19th. The Fort Wayne native has a national title and five All-American honors to her name.

Junior transfer Brooklyn Simmons will join Xayarath in long jump as the 5th-seed as well as triple jump as the 27th-seed. Junior transfer Josey Reineman will also be making her nationals debut in Forester green in high jump where she is seeded tenth.

Junior Emily Tedder, a three-time track All-American, will look to add to her hardware collection. She will toe the line of the 1000 meters as the 12th-seed and will also run the 1200m leg of the DMR.

Joining Tedder on the distance medley relay team are sophomores Trysta Hilton (400m), Mackenzie Brewer (800m) and Malarie Pinwar (1600m). The foursome is picked to finish 8th. Lydia Baker and Molly Harding are traveling with the team as the alternates.

Pinwar is also signed up to run the mile as the #11 seed.

On the men’s side, junior Zach Collins is set to run the 200 and 400 meters where he is seeded 14th and 7th respectively. He was an All-American last spring at outdoor nationals in the 400.

As the 10th-seed, Austin Liepe will line-up for the 5000 meters with hopes of claiming his first All-American praise. Joining him in the 5K will be graduate student Kent Yoder. With three cross country All-American badges to his name, the Shipshewana native is also hoping to wrap up his indoor running career with a piece of All-American hardware.

Rounding out HU’s qualifiers is senior Reece Gibson who will be running the 3000 meters as the 24th-seed. The Concordia Lutheran product has earned four All-American honors during his running career as a Forester.
Athletes who finish in the top eight in the prelims of their race advance to the finals. Below is the schedule of events for the Foresters.