Final Results // Live Results

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Reclaiming the top spot in program history, Seth Morris established a new school standard in the shot put, while several other Captains put together historic efforts as the Christopher Newport track & field teams opened the 2025-26 campaign with a sensational showcase on Saturday during the Holiday Open at the Freeman Center.

Exactly 12 months after originally setting the school record in the shot put during last year's Holiday Open, Morris kicked off his junior campaign in identical fashion. On his second attempt on Saturday, the third-year star unloaded a 16.45-meter heave. With that performance, Morris regained the school record, which he lost at the end of the 2025 campaign when former teammate Latrell Fomby uncorked a 16.12-meter toss.

Along with his historic work in the shot put, Morris jumped to seventh on the school's all-time performance list in the weight throw after winning the event with a 16.64-meter launch. CNU also boasted the runner-up in both throwing events as Daniel Young placed second in the shot put (15.34 meters), while Ben Varner matched that finish in the weight throw (15.52 meters). Varner's distance moved him to ninth on the school's all-time charts as well.

On the women's side, Sarah Dake and Ashley Eley continued to rewrite the history books. Dake won the 5000 in 18:13.68, which marked the third-fastest clocking in school history and the finest effort by a Captain since 2006. Eley also took the high jump after setting a new PR with a 1.59-meter clearance. That vaulted her to seventh in program lore and was Christopher Newport's top effort since 2016.

"We had 27 Team PRs today, including the school record and the other four All-Time Performances," said head coach Tyler Wingard. "Marks in the early meets are nice to see, but the focus is on seeing how the things we are working on in training stick in competition. We were all over the map in that department, but we seemed pretty intent on learning. We'll build on that."

Along with her victory in the high jump, Eley also captured the triple jump with an 11.32-meter leap and added a third-place mark in the 60-hurdles after wrapping up the finals in 9.61. Later, she teamed up with Annaka Busenlehner, Bailey Billger, and Lana Sakhel on a second-place showing in the 4x400-relay as well. Together, the foursome finished the race in 4:25.11.

Rounding out Saturday's top performers, Clayton Rankin paced the field in the men's 5000 (15:47.43), while Elizabeth Lacombe and Lily Knowles registered the top mark in the women's pole vault after they both eclipsed 2.99 meters.

In other elite efforts in field events, the women flooded the top of the leaderboard in the triple jump. In addition to Eley's victorious performance, D'yan Robinson placed second (10.48 meters), and Billger was fourth (9.97 meters). Billger also led CNU with a 4.75-meter distance in the long jump, while four Captains registered top-five finishes in throwing events on the women's side. In the shot put, Kayla Asprey was second with an 11.53-meter distance, while Charlotte Waldemar placed third (10.70 meters). Meanwhile, in the weight throw, Rylee Ehrett came in third (13.21 meters), and Eleanor Eungard was fifth (11.85 meters).

Capping off the women's top finishers, Sakhel pieced together an impressive debut as the freshman finished third in the 400 (1:03.57) and ninth in the 200 (28.15) along with her work on the relay. Robinson also was sixth in the 60 after completing the finals in 8.32.

For the men, Leo Brennan had a busy Saturday after coming in third in the triple jump (12.79 meters) and fifth in both the long jump (6.34 meters) and high jump (1.77 meters). Freshman David Kayembe was also the runner-up in the long jump with a 6.43-meter showcase, while Sam Anania added his own dynamite debut with a second-place mark in the pole vault after topping 3.98 meters.

On the track, Eli Wilson came in second in the 200 (23.19) and third in the 400 (51.94), while Jahi Jemison was the runner-up in the 60-hurdles (8.80). Additionally, Jacob Phelps posted the squad's top time in the 800 (2:14.46), Langley Forte concluded the 60 in 7.32, and Kayembe, Kendrick Matheny, Charlie Anania, and Sam Anania came in fifth in the 4x400-relay with a 3:40.24 clocking.

Following the winter break, Christopher Newport will return to action on January 17 with an appearance at the VMI Team Challenge in Lexington, Virginia.

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