Western Kentucky’s track and field teams wrapped up day one of the first meet of the 2024 season Friday at the Commodore Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt in Nashville.

The day saw multiple top-five finishes for WKU. Julian Klenner took home third place in the 300-meter dash. On the distance side, Kynzlei Bassett finished up in third in the 5,000-meter race.

“Overall, very happy with today,” WKU coach Brent Chumbley said in a news release. “We kept up with winter training and were ready to compete. Connor, Emilia, Wade and Julian had really strong numbers.

“Rachel Payne may have had the best first day. She ran a big PR in the 600 and jumped very well in the HJ. Rachel put in a lot of great work over the summer and during the fall. She really impressed me today, so we expect more during the season.”

Payne led the charge in the women’s 600 with a PR of 1:43, good enough for a 15th-place finish. The junior also added a high jump of 1.55 meters, placing seventh.

Graduate transfer Emilia Lesniak led the Hilltoppers in the high jump, finishing in sixth place (1.72m).

Newcomer Connor Owens led the way for the throwers on the men’s side. The Montgomery, Ala., native reached the top 10 in the weight throw, finishing ninth and hitting 17.15 meters. Ajla Basic notched a top-15 finish in the women’s weight throw, placing 11th with a distance of 17.70 meters.

The Tops will wrap up their first meet of the season when the Commodore Challenge concludes Saturday. The meet will resume at 10 a.m. CT, and the meet can be viewed on SECN+.

MEN’S RESULTS

300m

3rd – Julian Klenner – 34.90

25th – Zack Martinez – 36.72

600m

13th – Wade Balcom – 1:22.56

19th – Jordan Eddy – 1:25.52

High Jump

15th – Nick Fornoff – 1.84 (6-0 ½)

Weight Throw

9th – Connor Owens – 17.15 (56-3 ¾)

10th – Kaison Barton – 16.86 (55-3 ¾)

16th – Luke Stegman – 15.34 (50-4)

Pole Vault

16th – Jackson Tweed – 4.33 (14-2 ½)

NH – Devon Montgomery

WOMEN’S RESULTS

600m

15th – Rachel Payne – 1:43.77

19th – Netanya Linares – 1:48.93

20th – Morgan Moore – 1:53.07

1000m

27th – Arielle Phillips – 3:26.03

5000m

3rd – Kynzlei Bassett – 19:42.70

High Jump

6th – Emilia Lesniak – 1.72 (5-7 ¾)

8th – Grace Turner – 1.66 (5-5 ¼)

High Jump (Unseeded)

7th – Rachel Payne – 1.55 (5-1)

Long Jump

14th – Haley Zell – 5.02 (16-5 ¾)

Weight Throw

11th – Ajla Basic – 17.70 (58-1)