Track and field has been a story of success recently for both the Baldwin Wallace University men’s and women’s teams.
On the women’s team, first-year athlete Bri Hay made Yellow Jackets history by breaking the BW record and the meet record in the 55-meter dash.
Hay secured victory in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.28, surpassing the BW record set at 7.29 by Melanie Winters in 2015, and the meet record, previously established at 7.35 by Kenadee Wayt of Mount Union University in 2020.
Hay, a Miami, FL native, had a high school journey marked by excellence, earning her the title of MVP in athletics and securing a coveted spot on the Honor Roll. Her decision to enroll to BW was not solely about finding a place to excel in sports but also about discovering a home.
“I chose Baldwin Wallace University because I came to visit the team and coach Simpson made me feel at home,” Hay said. “I had a chance to meet a few amazing professors as well which made a great impact on my decision.”
Having achieved remarkable success early in her career, Hay is now setting her sights on ambitious goals.
“My goals are to break even more records at BW and be an asset to my team and to win an NCAA championship,” Hay said. “I know with the amazing coaching staff and teammates I have; we can do it.”
Hay also said she aspired to one day be a part of Team USA.
A testament to the track team’s further success, BW men’s track and field team secured the top position among six competing teams at the annual Dr. William Taraschke Team Challenge on Jan. 27. The team placed first in six individual events and one relay race.
The team had many notable achievements in the event, including the pole vault, where first-year Conner Radojcsic cleared a distance of 3.95 meters. Junior Mason Kisel dominated the shot put with an impressive distance of 14.48 meters, while junior Thomas Hickman triumphed in the weight throw, covering 15.66 meters. In the 200-meter dash, sophomore Kaden Faggs displayed his speed with a winning time of 22.68.
Other standout performances included first-year Dillon Hach, who dominated the one-mile run with a time of 4:26.97, and senior Carter Almady, who conquered the 5000-meter run, finishing at 15:42.41.
Despite facing an ankle injury that prevented Almady from competing during his first year, he has consistently been a top performer for the Yellow Jackets since.
“I have faced significant challenges throughout my career. My high school senior year season ended by getting ankle reconstructive surgery that set me back heading into my first year here,” Almady said. “Once I got on campus, I struggled to get my strength back in running and this led to multiple injuries that sidelined me essentially for the entirety of my freshman year.”
Almady said that he really appreciates the support from peers, remembering a specific moment at the Cross Country NCAA Regional meet in Akron where the track team’s support was showcased.
“The team culture has also grown greatly over my time here and to see a huge portion of the track team come out to support the cross country team at such a large meet is something really special to say about this team,” Almady said.
The Yellow Jackets return on Feb. 9, hosting the Mid-February meet on the Harrison Dillard Track.
