Western Kentucky’s track and field teams wrapped up day one of competition at the 2025 Conference USA Indoor Championships on Friday in Lynchburg, Virginia.

There were a total of 14 personal bests for WKU when the events of the day were all tallied up.

The day was kicked off with a ninth and 10th place finish for WKU’s Rachel Payne and Madison Rabe in the women’s pentathlon. In the women’s pole vault, Natalie Papes set a new personal best in the event with a mark of 3.50 meters. Kinley Kunkel again set a personal best in the women’s 5,000-meter race, finishing in 17:06, claiming sixth.

On the men’s side, three Hilltoppers managed to claim a spot in the Saturday track final races in Kameron Horton in two races, Van Thrasher, and Brunel Desinor. Horton managed to set a personal record in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash.

Nothing came close to Horton’s finish in the 60-meter dash, finishing in 6.66, a personal best. His time is also a new indoor school record for the Hilltoppers.

In men’s field events, Sterling Weldon and Sam Crenshaw both finished just outside the top three, both claiming fourth in their respective events, Weldon took fourth in the long jump, setting a new PR with a mark of 7.43 meters. Crenshaw’s mark in the pole vault stands at 16.02 meters.

Brunel Desinor finished up in seventh in the men’s 400, placing him in the field for the final Saturday.

WKU will continue the 2025 CUSA Indoor Championships on Saturda in Lynchburg. Action can be streamed live on ESPN+.

Men’s Results (Preliminary unless noted)

60

2nd – Kameron Horton – 6.66* (Q) (SR)

16th – Sterling Weldon – 6.87

17th – Jayden Freeman – 6.89

18th – Zachariah Taylor – 6.89*

60 Hurdles

4th – Kameron Horton – 7.90* (Q)

6th – Van Thrasher – 7.99* (Q)

200

2nd – Kameron Horton – 20.82* (Q)

11th – Brunel Desinor – 21.60*

15th – Zachariah Taylor – 21.73*

400

7th – Brunel Desinor – 48.15* (Q)

19th – Henry Fisher – 50.62

800

14th – Wade Balcom – 1:55

Mile

11th – Trevor Hudnall – 4:14*

15th – Hollis Johnson – 4:20

5000 (Final)

11th – Jake Younger – 15:33

13th – Michael House – 15:44

DMR (Final)

4th – Western Kentucky (Hudnall, Thrasher, Kempema, Johnson) – 10:19

Long Jump (Final)

4th – Sterling Weldon – 7.43* (24-04.5)

17th – Van Thrasher – 6.42 (21-00.75)

Pole Vault (Final)

4th – Sam Crenshaw – 4.95 (16-02.75)

11th – Caleb Joyce – 4.65 (15-03)

Weight Throw (Final)

9th – Luke Stegman – 17.37 (56-11.75)

11th – Kaison Barton – 16.90 (55-05.24)

12th – Connor Owens – 16.19 (53-01.25)

15th – Hunter Coslow – 14.73 (48-03.75)

Women’s Results (Preliminary unless noted)

60

17th – Sanaa Washington – 7.79

60 Hurdles

11th – Gianna Huerta – 9.18*

12th – Madison Rabe – 9.24

200

18th – Sanaa Washington – 25.30

800

13th – Addie Frisch – 2:17*

Mile

17th – Mary Dye – 5:27

5000 (Final)

6th – Kinley Kunkel – 17:06*

DMR (Final)

8th – Western Kentucky (Frisch, Huerta, Witt, Maschhoff) – 12:37

Long Jump (Final)

16th – Haley Zell – 5.29 (17-04.25)

23rd – Jas Hampton – 4.98 (16-04)

Pole Vault (Final)

6th – Sophia Roskoski – 3.80 (12-05.5)

18th – Natalie Papes – 3.50* (11-05.75)

Weight Throw (Final)

12th – Aitana Safont Falomir – 15.70 (51-06)

16th – Jayla Gilbert – 14.73 (48-03.75)

Pentathlon (Final)

9th – Rachel Payne – 3223

10th – Madison Rabe – 3191