University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Phil Esten Challenge
Panther track and field continues season growth at Phil Esten Challenge
4/16/2026 9:47:00 PM | Track and Field
LA CROSSE, Wisc. --- The UNI track and field team continued to show improvement across the board on Thursday as the Panthers captured 14 event titles at UW-La Crosse's Phil Esten Challenge at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Northern Iowa tallied 27 career-best marks on the day, building on its progress with just one month to go before the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Outdoor Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Carson Lienau (59' 11), David Russell (59' 4 ¼) and Spencer Kessel (58' 8 ¼) opened Thursday's competition with a 1-2-3 sweep of the men's shot put, while Breanna Hackman topped the podium in the women's shot put with a winning toss of 46' 3. Brylie Lorence (45') 3) and Jorie Hanenburg (43' 6 ¾) both finished third and fourth respectively in the event.
Tinashe Chigudu, Parker Kiewiet, Luke Meyers and Luke Nevitt kicked off action on the track by winning the men's 4x100-meter relay in 39.77 seconds, the third-fastest time in program history. Emma Randecker (54.52) and Jersey Jones (55.09) meanwhile took first and second respectively for the Panthers in the women's 400 meters with Randecker continuing her breakout freshman season with the sixth-fastest time in UNI history.
In the sprint hurdle races, Olivia Kramer clocked a career-best time of 14.14 seconds to win the women's 100-meter hurdles, with Carter Accola capturing third place in the men's 110-meter hurdles (14.58). Darci Wiseman posted a career-best mark of 1:00.30 to take first in the women's 400-meter hurdles with Carlie Jo Fusco in second (1:01.75), as Gabe Funk finished fifth in the men's race with a career-best time as well (53.28).
Tyler Sickerson came away with a first-place finish to capture the men's 100-meter dash crown in 10.64 seconds as Luke Meyers took third (10.68) and Luke Nevitt in fifth (10.71). Jessica Kyne also took third in the women's 100 meters for UNI (12.15).
In the middle distance competitions, the Panthers swept both the men's and women's 800-meter races with Derek Woods clocking a 1:50.47 to win on the men's side, and Josee Simonson running a career-best time of 2:13.95 for the women. Continuing in the sprints, Randecker secured her second individual win of the day with a first-place showing in the women's 200 meters (24.02) with Kyne following in third (24.57). Kiewiet clocked 21 seconds flat meanwhile to take the men's 200-meter title, following Luke Meyers (21.14) and Sickerson (21.26) in fourth and fifth.
Chase Lauman led the charge in the men's 1,500-meter run with a winning time of 3:54.30, as Kaylee Woolery took second for the Panthers in the women's mile (4:35.20). Zach Fall, Kiewiet, Chase Knoche and Jordan Townsend took home a second place finish in the 4x400-meter relay as they clocked a time of 3:13.71, while the women's relay team of Fusco, Eden Moore, Randecker and Wiseman also took first place (3:47.42).
Back in field competition, Daniel Adams cleared 6' 7 ¼ to win the men's long jump, as Josey Dunbar (19' 5) and Maleah Walker (18' 6 ¾) finished first and third respectively in the women's long jump. In the women's pole vault, Erica Miner cleared the third-highest mark in team history and best since 2012 to win the women's pole vault with a 12' 10 vault with Sydnee Scott tying for fifth (12' 1). In the jumping pits, Josie Moreland also claimed victory for UNI with a 5' 6 leap to win the women's high jump.
Lorence (173' 6) and Kileigh Lachacz (172') both set new career-bests in the women's hammer throw to take second and third, with Lauren Kounkel (141' 3) and Hackman (140' 11) placing third and fourth in the women's discus. David Russell meanwhile would capture the title in the men's hammer (196' 11) with Tory Wash taking home fourth with a new career-best toss (190' 1).
Davis Brogan placed second in the men's javelin (176' 10), with Hanenburg taking fifth in the women's javelin with a career-best toss of 116' 3. In the men's long jump, Kiewiet closed out his night with a third place showing (23' 10 ¼) as T.Y. Pour placed fourth (116' 3).
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action next week at the Drake Relays in Des Moines (Apr. 22-25), as well as at the Kip Janvrin Open, hosted by Simpson College in Indianola (Apr. 23-24).
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
