Multiple OSU Track & Field records fall in first action of 2026

Friday, January 16

Manhattan, KS

All Day

Oklahoma State University

Thane Baker Invitational

Multiple OSU Track & Field records fall in first action of 2026

January 17, 2026 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State men's and women's indoor track & field returned to the indoor circuit Friday with several record-breaking performances at the Owen Hewett and Thane Baker Invitational meets.

Multiple school records fell at the Owen Hewett Invitational in Norman, Okla., as the Cowboy and Cowgirl field event athletes kicked off their 2026 campaigns. In her first meet as a Cowgirl, sophomore transfer Pavana Nagaraj shattered the program record in the Long Jump with her leap of 6.47 meters, breaking Bailey Golden's record of 6.25 meters set in 2023 at the Big 12 Championships. Nagaraj also took down a field of nearly entirely Sooners on her way to the meet victory in the invitational section.
On the men's side, NCAA Outdoor runner-up Blair Anderson opened his season with a second-place finish in the Long Jump, improving his No. 2 mark in program history to 7.65 meters.
A second school record fell in the jumps as Rajaun Ricketts took down one of the oldest school records in the books in the Triple Jump. Ricketts recorded a jump of 15.49 meters on his sixth and final attempt to break Mark Hanna's record of 15.34 meters set back in 1987 at the Kansas Relays.

Elsewhere in the field, the Cowgirl multis claimed multiple victories across the board. True freshman Elise Eikeland picked up her first career victory in the orange and black in the open section of the Long Jump with her leap of 5.93 meters, good enough for eighth on the program's all-time list. Fellow multi-event athletes Olivija Vaitaityte and Jamila Isman tied for the win in the open High Jump, with both women clearing 1.60 meters on the day.
The wins kept coming for the multis group as Katie Chapman picked up the victory in the 60 Meter Hurdles with her time of 8.54 seconds, moving her up to No. 2 in program history. Right behind her was Isman, who placed second in the event with her time of 8.65, putting her fourth in OSU history.
In the women's weight throw event, Rachel Neaves and Rylee Jenkins placed third and fourth, respectively, with Jenkins' throw of 18.40 meters moving her up to ninth on the program list in just her first indoor competition for the Cowgirls.
Junior Nate Collier competed in men's shot put, rounding out the event with a second-place finish and ranking eighth in program history with a throw of 17.11 meters.

Several more impressive marks rolled in for the Cowboys and Cowgirls at the Thane Baker Invitational in Manhattan, Kan., including another school record. Kicking off the day, senior stud Kaylie Politza continued her momentum from a breakthrough junior season, with Politza breaking the program record in the 1,000 Meters with her time of 2:39.76. Politza's time also ranks as the fourth-fastest time in NCAA history.
Finishing just ahead of Politza was former Cowgirl and Olympian Gabija Galvydyte, who took home the meet victory and the long standing Lithuanian national indoor record in the 1K with her time of 2:35.17. The previous record had stood since 1988.
Behind Galvydyte and Politza was Cowgirl true freshman Elyse Wilmes, who placed fifth on the day and ran the sixth-fastest time in Cowgirl history at 2:45.01.
In the men's 1,000 Meters, true freshman Alex Riley placed second overall and clocked the fifth-fastest time in program history with his time of 2:22.14.
Rounding out the night, Mason Page secured the meet victory in the men's 600 Yards with his time of 1:08.25, good enough for third on the program list. His time also broke the meet record set just last year. On the women's side, sophomore Kalen Goodman also put together an impressive performance, clocking a time of 1:20.71 to put her sixth in program history and the heat win.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls resume action next weekend at the JD Martin Invitational back in Norman on Jan. 23.
For more information on the Cowboys and Cowgirls, continue to check back with okstate.com.
Thane Baker Invitational (K-State)

Men's Individual Results
1,000 Meters
2. Alex Riley – 2:22.14
4. David Mora – 2:23.30
8. Nate Stadtlander – 2:27.52
15. Jerry Mendez – 2:31.61

Mile
6. Keegan Thomas –4:08.96
10. Matthew Thomas – 4:11.57
12. Ethan Stovall – 4:12.47

600 Yards
1. Mason Page – 1:08.25
5. Charlie Thorne – 1:10.91
6. Pradeep Senthilkumar – 1:10.91
7. Hunter Vaughn – 1:10.95
9. Blake Wynne – 1:11.33
11. Will Bynum – 1:11.64
15. Aaron Morris – 1:12.43
16. Ben Currence – 1:12.54
18. Noah Darnell – 1:13.15
20. Brycen Ward – 1:15.08

800 Meter Invitational – Final
4. James Edmond – 1:54.12

4x400 Meter Relay
3. W. Bynum, P. Kumar, A., Morris, H. Vaughn – 3:14.74
8. B. Currence, A. Riley, N. Stadtlander, D. Mora – 3:22.75

Women's Individual Results
1,000 Meters
*3. Kaylie Politza – 2:39.76 (No. 4 in NCAA history)
5. Elyse Wilmes – 2:45.01
6. Mandeep Sangha – 2:48.16
7. Kadence Huck – 2:48.48
8. Paige Stuart – 2:48.61
11. Bella Nelson – 2:49.17
12. Kevriana Scott – 2:49.25
14. Aubrey O'Connell – 2:53.25
16. Kailey Littlefield – 2:59.64

Mile
4. Katie Armstrong – 5:02.06

600 Yards
2. Kalen Goodman – 1:20.71
5. Isis Grant – 1:22.35
9. Hailey Johnson – 1:24.15
13. Annalina Torres – 1:24.68
14. Kayleigh Bowie – 1:25.51

Mile Invitational – Final
4. Jinane Mahi – 4:53

4x400 Meter Relay
4. M. Jackson, K. Politza, E. Wilmes, I. Grant – 3:44.38
7. P. Stuart, A. Torres, H. Johnson, K. Huck – 3:50.19
10. B. Nelson, M. Sangha, K. Littlefield, A. O'Connell – 3:56.92

Owen Hewett Invitational

Men's Individual Results
Long Jump
7. Crayton Shaw – 6.13 m/20'1.50"

60 Meters – Prelims
2. Behr Boyd – 6.99 Q
13. Cooper Moore – 7.24
17. Crayton Shaw – 7.28

60 Meters – Final
2. Behr Boyd – 6.98

High Jump
3. Cooper Moore – 1.84 m/6'0.50

60 Meter Invitational – Prelims
9. Carter Wilkerson – 6.93 Q

60 Meter Invitational – Final
8. Carter Wilkerson – 6.89

Triple Jump
*2. Rajaun Ricketts – 15.49 m/50'10

Shot Put
2. Nate Collier – 17.11 m/56'1.75"

Long Jump Invitational
2. Blair Anderson – 7.65 m/25'1.25"
7. Preston Neumeier – 7.08 m/23'2.75"

High Jump Invitational
7. Steven Schmidt (Unattached) – 2.04 m/6'8.25"
8. Andrew Hughes – 1.99 m/6'8.25"

4x400 Meter Relay
4. C. Shaw, C. Moore, B. Boyd, C. Wilkerson – 3:29.16

Women's Individual Results
Long Jump
1. Elise Eikeland – 5.93 m/19'5.50"

High Jump
T-1. Olivija Vaitaityte – 1.60 m/5'3
T-1. Jamila Isman – 1.60 m/5'3

Weight Throw
3. Rachel Neaves –18.69 m/61'4
4. Rylee Jenkins –18.4 m/60'4.50"
8. Sutton Howard – 16.81 m/55'2

60 Meter Invitational – Prelims
3. Lilly Ray – 7.67 Q
5. Bailey Strain – 7.70 Q

60 Meter Invitational – Final
3. Bailey Strain – 7.63
4. Lilly Ray – 7.64

60 Meter Hurdle Invitational – Prelims
3. Katie Chapman – 8.63 Q
4. Annie Molenhouse – 8.68 q
5. Jamila Isman – 8.69 Q
11. Olivija Vaitaityte – 9.06 q

60 Meter Hurdle Invitational – Final
1. Katie Chapman – 8.54
2. Jamila Isman – 8.65
5. Annie Molenhouse (Unattached) – 8.74
7. Olivija Vaitaityte – 8.94

800 Meter Invitational
3. Elise Eikeland – 2:20.15

Long Jump Invitational
*1. Pavana Nagaraj – 6.47 m/21'2.75"
10. Sara Byers – 5.60 m/18'4.50"

* - indicates new school record