Multiple Top 10 All-Time Results Set at Arkansas Invitational

Friday, January 16

Fayetteville, AR

12:00 P.M.

Stephen F. Austin

Arkansas Invitational

Multiple Top 10 All-Time Results Set at Arkansas Invitational

1/16/2026 11:07:00 PM | Track & Field

Kapel sets new program standard in 3000m, Jemutai wins as Jacks rewrite record book

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Multiple new top 10 all-time Stephen F. Austin indoor track and field marks and times were recorded on Friday at the Arkansas Invitational. Nathan Kapel and Valentine Jemutai won the 3000m events to highlight an overall impressive season-opening effort in Northwest Arkansas. Kapel and teammate Paul Kiprotich recorded the top two fastest times in the 3000m in program history.

RECORD BOOK REWRITING
Nathan Kapel – 3000m – fastest all-time (8:08.15)
Paul Kiprotich – 3000m – 2^nd fastest all-time (8:08.18)
Lauren Creaby – 600m – 2^nd fastest all-time (1:34.64)
Valentine Jemutai – 3000m – 3^rd fastest all-time (9:40.63)
Mercy Kipchumba – 3000m – 4^th fastest all-time (9:42. 18)
Perry Watkins – 60m – 4^th fastest all-time (6.80)
Robert Fuelle – 1 Mile – 5^th fastest all-time (4:09.04)
Basia Mitchell – LJ – 6^th longest all-time (19' 2 ½")
Devon Judelson – 3000m – 6^th fastest all-time (8:10.51)
Riley Elliott – 3000m – 8^th fastest all-time (8:17.41)
Ryan Binskin – 3000m – 9^th fastest all-time (8:20.08)

SFA MEN
The Jacks dominated the 3000m field with Kapel winning in 8:08.15. Kiprotich was the second to cross and was only :00.03 back of Kapel. Judelson finished fourth (8:10.51), with Elliott (8:17.41), Binskin (8:20.08) and Lathan Lewter (8:29.73) placing 8^th, 11^th and 13^th, respectively. Sam Golla (8:34.75) and Japhet Kimei (8:35.25) both landed inside the top 20.

Fuelle ran the fifth-fastest indoor mile in program history with a sixth-place finish in 4:09.04.

Watkins qualified for the 60m finals with a semifinal time of 6.82. Watkins then shaved .02 off that time in the final sprint to place third overall. He also recorded a top 10 finish at ninth overall in the 200m in a time of 21.83; .16 seconds back of Johnny Banks III who ran to a sixth-place finish in the event in 21.67.

Bennett Meyer-Wills placed 15^th overall in the 800m in just over two minutes at 2:00.46.

Payton Bragg placed four inches off the top effort in the pole vault to finish second in the event at 4.75m (15-7). Hunter Murphy placed third in the high jump at 2.05m (6-8 3/4) with Rance Berney following in seventh at 1.95m (6-4 3/4).

James Williams logged a ninth-place finish in the shot put to start the day. Williams tossed 16.01m (52-6 1/2), while three other Jacks finished inside the field's top 20. The Jacks went 8-9-10 in the weight throw as Victor Ramos (17.66m), Williams (17.60m) and Kason Reed (17.23m) rounded out the top 10.

SFA WOMEN
The Jacks placed two women in the top three of the 3000m as Jemutai won the event with a time of 9:40.63 with Kipchumba placing third with a time of 9:42.18. Two more Jacks placed inside the field's top 15 with Trude Lamb finishing tenth (10:05.27) and Lizi McGuire registering a 14^th place (10:12.70) result.

Aubrey Griffin paced a three Jack effort in the pole vault with a high mark of 3.60m (11-9 3/4). Danielle Bejar's 11.85m (38-10 1/2) result in the shot put placed her seventh in the event. Alondra Loya's 15.49m (50-10) throw in the weight throw earned her an eighth-place result.

Mitchell recorded a long jump mark of 5.85m (19-2 1/2) to place seventh with Faith Nze .45 back of Mitchell's effort to finish inside the top 15 at 13^th overall.

Mitchell placed 21^st in the 60m Hurdles semis in 8.83 and Alana Rouquette finished 23^rd in 9:03.

In the semifinals of the 60m, Kennedy Swann qualified for the finals with a time of 7.56. In the finals, Swann ran to a third-place finish with a time of 7.61

Creaby registered a top 10 finish with a tenth-place time of 1:34.64 in the 600m event. In the 300m, Jada Gibson placed tenth in 40.92 and Mya Sanders followed in 12^th with a time of 41.85.

UP NEXT
The Jacks prepare for action two weeks from today as Houston's two-day Robert Platt Invitational begins on January 30. Live coverage links in addition to entry lists and heat sheets will be available at www.SFAjacks.com.

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