University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State Classic
Stephens, Randecker set new Panther track and field records at Nebraska
2/7/2026 5:48:00 PM | Track and Field
Panthers sweep multi-event competitions and set two new program records at Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.
LINCOLN, Neb. --- Two additional school records fell for a second straight weekend as the UNI track and field team competed at Nebraska's Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, as well as the Iowa State Classic in Ames.
Katy Stephens, competing unattached in the pentathlon in Lincoln, took down Northern Iowa's women's high jump record after clearing five feet, ten inches on Friday, while Emma Randecker broke UNI Athletics Hall of Famer Shantel Twiggs' 1994 indoor 200-meter dash record by one hundredth of a second in 24.11.
HOW IT HAPPENED AT THE FRANK SEVIGNE HUSKER INVITATIONAL
Randecker kicked off action in Lincoln with a third-place showing in the women's 400 meters with the fifth-fastest time in team history in 55.33. Tinashe Chigudu placed fourth in the finals of the men's 60-meter dash in 6.74 seconds, while Luke Meyers (unattached) took sixth (6.87). Carter Accola also placed eighth in the men's 60-meter hurdles in 8.28 seconds.
In the field competitions, Josey Dunbar led the charge in the women's long jump with a fifth-place performance of 18' 10, as T.Y. Pour took seventh in the men's long jump (22' ¼). Four Panthers placed in the top-eight in the men's weight throw from fifth to eighth place, including Justin Olson (64' 1 ¼), David Russell (61' 9 ¾), Carson Lienau (61' 4 ¼) and Spencer Kessel (60' ¼). Sydnee Scott rounded out the field action by finishing fifth in the women's pole vault (12' 4 ¾).
On Saturday, after setting the school record in the women's high jump during the pentathlon, Stephens closed out an impressive weekend to win the event with a career-high 4,038 points, the third-highest mark in team history and only the third 4,000+ point performance in team history in the event. Joey Perry meanwhile followed Stephens in second with 3,897 points, while Tye Hardin captured the heptathlon title with 5,276 points.
Following a second-place showing by Tinashe Chigudu in the men's 200 meters (21.46) with Parker Kiewiet also taking seventh (21.83), Randecker added on to her impressive weekend with a UNI school and freshman record to take third in the women's 200-meter dash in 24.11 seconds.
Back in field action, Kessel took home fourth place in the men's shot put (60' 5 ¼) with Lienau following in eighth (58' 10 ¾), while Brylie Lorence (47' ¾) and Jorie Hanenburg (45' 10 ½) placed seventh and eighth respectively in the women's shot put. Josie Moreland tied for fourth in the women's high jump (5' 6) with Daniel Adams tying for seventh in the men's high jump (6' 5), while Carter Morton placed sixth in the men's triple jump (47' 10 ½).
HOW IT HAPPENED AT THE IOWA STATE CLASSIC
At the Lied Athletics Recreation Center in Ames on Friday, Soren Maricle opened up the afternoon for the Panthers with a third-place showing in the women's triple jump (35' 1). On the track, Zach Fall picked up UNI's lone victory of the meet, winning the men's 400-meter dash in 48.47 seconds, with Gabe Funk (48.96) following in fifth and Kaden Emanuel (49.41) in eighth. Jersey Jones meanwhile took third in the women's 400 meters in 55.83, followed by Carlie Jo Fusco (57.21) in sixth and Darci Wiseman (57.28) in seventh.
Funk took fifth in the finals of the men's 60-meter hurdles in 8.39 seconds, while Tyler Sickerson finished seventh in the 60-meter dash (6.94). Sickerson would also take home second place honors in the men's 200 meters, running in 21.90 seconds, while Giada Grimes took seventh in the women's 200-meter dash (25.53).
In distance competition, Micah Rees clocked a 14:44.87 to take fourth place in the men's 5,000 meter run, with Evie Hennebeery (18:01.80) and Brook O'Brien (18:14.08) taking fifth and seventh respectively in the women's 5,000 meters. Claire Wright finished eighth in the women's mile run for Northern Iowa in 4:59.80, as Sarah Feddersen led the Panther pack in the women's 800-meter run in 2:13.88.
UNI closed out its action at Iowa State with the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Maya Williams, Fusco, Wiseman and Anna Van Kooten finishing in second in 3:50.26). The men's relay team of Fall, Funk, Jake Bosch and Micaiah Ellis took third (3:17.58).
UP NEXT
UNI returns to action next Friday and Saturday at the Wisconsin Windy City Invite in Chicago.
UNI track and field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Players Mentioned
