Yellowjackets Showcase Midseason Form at Grinnell Invitational

GRINNELL, Iowa – The Graceland University men's and women's indoor track and field teams delivered a series of strong performances at the Grinnell Invitational on Saturday, earning multiple podium finishes and qualifying one athlete for the NAIA national championships. Competing against a deep field of NAIA and NCAA Division III programs, the Yellowjackets demonstrated measurable growth and consistency at the midseason point of the indoor campaign.

Leading the men's team was sophomore sprinter Tael Jean, who advanced through the preliminaries in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.06 seconds before placing fifth in the final with a 6.95 clocking. Jean's finish marked one of three Yellowjackets in the top 20 of the event, with senior Brice Taylor (16th, 7.20) and junior Kaeden Monday (20th, 7.24) also posting competitive marks. Taylor returned later in the day to produce one of Graceland's best sprint performances, finishing third in the 200 meters with a time of 22.86 seconds, less than a quarter-second off the winner's pace.

Graceland's field event corps was highlighted by junior Caden Israel, who secured third place in the pole vault, clearing a height of 4.00 meters. The effort marked a consistent early-season showing for Israel as he eyes national qualification later in the season. In the horizontal jumps, sophomore Elias Walker placed sixth in the long jump with a best of 6.06 meters, narrowly edging out teammate Cole Milks, who jumped 5.91 meters. The Yellowjackets' field depth extended into the throws, where senior Frankie Vigil led the men's weight throw contingent with a mark of 13.04 meters, finishing 26th in a field of more than 40 competitors.

On the women's side, the meet was headlined by senior Kady Vandemark, who delivered a statement performance in the weight throw with a winning mark of 16.99 meters, securing her qualification for the NAIA Indoor National Championships. Vandemark, an outdoor All-American in the hammer throw last spring, once again proved to be a national contender. She was joined on the podium by Amanda Newton, who took third in the event with a throw of 15.05 meters. Earlier in the day, Vandemark and Newton also contributed top finishes in the shot put, with Newton finishing third (12.34 meters), followed by Hannah Kling in fifth (11.92 meters) and Vandemark in sixth (11.86 meters).

In the women's pole vault, senior Ambar Fulgencio cleared 2.95 meters to finish fourth overall, narrowly missing out on a podium spot based on attempts. Fulgencio's mark continues a trend of consistent performances in the vertical jumps and adds depth to Graceland's field event group. The Yellowjackets also received contributions on the track from Caitlin Grover and Alissa Caruso, who placed seventh and eighth respectively in the women's 5,000-meter run with times of 21:33.11 and 21:49.90.

Following the meet, Head Coach Tom Shore praised the development and direction of the team: "This was a great look at where our team is at mid-season. We're making improvements as a team and are excited to see where we are at in a few weeks. A big congratulations to Coach Wilder and Kady on qualifying for nationals in the weight throw!"

Several other athletes gained valuable experience in preliminary rounds and field flights throughout the day, including sophomore Nya Glenn, who competed in both the 60 and 200 meters on the women's side, and freshman Garrison Allen, who made appearances in sprint and jump events for the men. The meet served as a significant benchmark for both rosters as the Yellowjackets build toward the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships and national qualifying standards.

Graceland will return to competition next weekend at the Northwest Missouri State Bearcat Invite, a two-day meet held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7, at the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse in Maryville, Missouri. The action begins Friday at 9 a.m. CST.

For more information on Graceland indoor track and field and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.