RENO, Nev. - For their opening weekend, Fresno Pacific track and field flew to the Nevada Invitational held at the Reno-Sparks Convention, where multiple Sunbirds collected personal bests, provisional qualifying marks, and podium finishes to kick off the new season.

"I am so extremely proud and thankful of the team and what they have done thus far," said head coach Robert Foster. "All of the hard work, the sacrifice and discipline that they have committed to. It's great to see. I'm also thankful for the committed staff members that I have around me that are committed to their craft and being excellent. We are all striving for a common goal. I'm excited to see what the season brings. To God be the glory."

DAY 1 | FRIDAY

The Sunbirds had a strong showing on the first day with every jumper being within reach of their personal best. Kaitleigh Downing (4.83m), Clara Wagner (5.10m), and Kyrin Coiltin (4.65m) showed up for the women, whereas Micah Vossler jumped 6.68m for the men.

In the 60m, Nydia Chance led the way with the first event win of the season, finishing with a time of 7.41 to match her personal bests. The meet was a great starting point as several returning student-athletes were a few thousandths seconds shy of their best, including Iyanna Fuller, Kaylie Keenan, and Shemar Palmer. Jovarie Hayden and Jaih McElroy did post personal bests, hitting 7.09 and 7.12 respectively.

In the hurdles, Clara Wagner (9.36) and Syndel Lopez (9.27) both set personal bests, while Avril ran an FPU All-Time second-best time in the 60H, coming in at 8.64, settling right behind assistant coach Brianna Green's 8.4. For the men, Hunson Hergenrader and Rome Johnson sealed the deal with personal bests, posting 8.59 and 8.38, respectively. Despite a tough start, Jonathan Biffle fought tooth and nail to capture the fourth spot, hitting a time of 8.25 in the 60H.

Both Shaniya Randolph (39.71) and Cyan Haslip (40.24) won their heats in the 300m, finishing third and fourth overall, respectively.

The throwers made significant changes to the FPU All-Time list to close out the day. Brooklyn Epperley is currently ranked eighth all-time with her throws in the weight throw (14.29m) and Siola Lua (13.81) checked in at tenth. Coming in for the men, Eric Romero (15.60m) settled in the fifth spot on FPU's all-time list along with Chavez Grey at seventh (15.27m). It was truly an amazing showing across the board for the Blue and Orange.


DAY 2 | SATURDAY

The 'Birds kicked off the second day with as much vigor as the first. Throws had another strong showing in the shot put, specifically Grey who was a finalist for FPU and placed sixth overall (15.63). In the jumps, Vossler had a great weekend in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. The young freshman shows promise in all three categories, capturing personal bests for all three events at his first ever indoor competition.

On the track, the Lady 'Birds showed their mettle in the 200 and 400 relays. With Mendoza, Kenahdi Haslip, Randolph, and Emma O'Neil working in tandem, the women finished fourth overall in the 4x400 relay, coming in with a time of 3:46.05 that ranks them 9th on FPU's all-time list.

At the Pole Vault Summit, Jackson Paramo kicked off his season with a solid performance, vaulting 14'1". Shane Bagley managed a single jump at 15'3" despite bad ankle trouble, which was enough to win his section before he had to stop after rolling his ankle just days earlier. 

One of the true stars of the meet was Palmer, the 2025 PacWest Player of the Year, who won it all in the 200m with a personal best indoor time of 20.89, which beat the second best person by more than half a second.

Ultimately, the season opener showcased the commitment and grit of every Sunbird, setting the tone for a Fresno Pacific squad poised for growth and success in the meets ahead.

NEXT UP: The Sunbirds return to Nevada for the Wolf Pack Classic from February 6th-7th.
 

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