PITTSBURG, Kan. / BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mississippi College Track & Field opened the 2025–26 indoor season with an impressive split-squad weekend on Friday, posting event victories, personal bests, and multiple top-three finishes across two sites—the Crimson & Gold Invitational at Pittsburg State and the Birmingham Indoor Icebreaker at the CrossPlex.
Distance Squad Leads the Way in Kansas
At the Crimson & Gold Invitational, held inside the Robert W. Plaster Center, the Choctaws' distance runners delivered a strong early-season statement.
Senior Cooper Parmer claimed the men's 5,000-meter title, pulling away late to win in 14:52.35 after unleashing a 48-second final lap. Junior Matthew Singletary finished sixth in 15:02.48, and senior Braedon Methvin placed 12th with a 15:11.24, giving MC three top-12 finishers in the event.
On the women's side, senior Bre Bell capped the evening with one of the best races of her career, placing third in the 5,000 meters at 17:27.03. Bell controlled the race through multiple segments and closed under 60 seconds over the final lap to secure her podium finish.
Sprinters, Hurdlers, Mid-Distance and Field Groups Shine in Birmingham
While the distance crew excelled in Kansas, the remainder of the squad opened the indoor campaign at the Birmingham Indoor Icebreaker, where MC posted a wide range of strong performances across events.
Freshman hurdlers Tristan Jusino-Lansing and Jake McMillan advanced to the 60-meter hurdle finals, where Jusino-Lansing placed fourth in 8.19 and McMillan finished sixth in 8.20, marking two of the team's top track results of the meet. Freshman Haylei Mason (9.12) and junior Maddie Flugence (9.16) led the women's hurdle group.
Junior Evan Wrights earned the Choctaws' first track victory of the season, winning the men's 800 meters in 1:56.53. Freshman Isabella Bailey finished sixth in the women's 800 (2:21.01), while freshman Gabrielle Jeffery placed eighth in the women's 3,000 meters (10:58.07).
In the sprints, freshman Rayvious Williams made a strong debut in the men's 60 meters (7.10), and sophomore Liam Wilkerson ran a personal-best 49.85 to finish seventh in the men's 400. Junior Anna Tucker paced the women at 400 meters with a 1:00.29.
MC added depth in the 1,000 meters with freshman Catherine Wallace leading the women in 3:07.05 for eighth, while freshman Matthew Meadows clocked a 2:35.02 for 11th in the men's race.
Relays also produced quality results, with the women's 4x400 squad finishing eighth in 4:06.05, and the men taking fifth in 3:22.84.
Throwers Dominate Icebreaker Field Events
Mississippi College's throws group delivered one of the program's strongest opening-meet showings in recent seasons.
Senior James David Miller won the men's weight throw with a personal-best 17.87 meters (58-7.50) as MC swept four of the top five positions behind Steven Conrad (3rd, 17.40m), Bryan Puckett (4th, 17.02m) and Jake Keesee (5th, 16.92m).
The Choctaws added two more podium finishes in the men's shot put, with Puckett (15.45m) and Conrad (15.44m) placing second and third. In the women's throws, junior Kennedy Thompson led the shot put group at 11.92m and later posted a personal-best 16.01m to place fifth in the weight throw.
Freshmen also made an early impact in the jumps, with Schyler Chambers taking eighth in the men's triple jump (14.44m) and Mallory Dial tying for fifth in the women's high jump (1.55m).
A Strong Opening Weekend for Both Squads
Across both meets, the Choctaws showed depth, youth development, and event versatility. With podium finishes from distance runners in Kansas and strong performances from sprinters, hurdlers, mid-distance athletes, and throwers in Birmingham, Mississippi College opened its indoor slate with momentum on multiple fronts.
The Choctaws return to action after the new year as the full squad reconvenes at the Birmingham CrossPlex on January 10 for the UAB Vulcan at 9:30 a.m.
