Men’s Track & Field Starts Indoor Campaign with Victories and Strong Multi-Event Showing at Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Juniata College men's indoor track and field team launched its 2025–26 season with multiple event wins, strong relay performances and a trio of heptathlon finishers at the Susquehanna Early Season Multi and Invitational.

On the track, Djemba Ndikwe grabbed an early-season victory in the 400 meters, clocking 52.03 to win by more than eight-tenths of a second. Deric Fritzges led the mid-distance group with a win in the 800 (2:02.65) and later added a fifth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (9.07), while Josh Wilson took seventh in the 800 (2:14.11). In the sprints, Isaiah Huffstutler opened with a strong double, taking fifth in the 60 meters (7.17) and fourth in the 200 (24.12), and Caleb Massare (7.27), Creig Jr. Bell, Gavin Robb, Carter Imes, Evan Downs, Joey McGowan, Ade Adejayan, and Braden Barrick added depth in the 60 and 200.

Juniata fielded three 4x400-meter relay squads, led by the "B" quartet of Parker Thomas, Robb, Barrick, and Fritzges, which finished second in 3:47.04. The "C" relay of Massare, Bell, Adejayan, and McGowan followed in 3:54.72, while Ndikwe, Downs, Shane Smith, and Wilson combined on another Juniata foursome that crossed in 3:55.91.

In the field events, Robb won the pole vault with a clearance of 4.00 meters, with Sean Buckley taking third (3.55m) and McGowan sixth (3.10m). The high jump saw first-years Ray Stonesifer and Kaiden Gates place second and third, respectively, with clearances of 1.83m and 1.78m. In the long jump, Massare (5.97m), Thomas (5.87m), Smith (5.27m) and Imes (4.93m) all contributed top-10 finishes, while Gates also competed in the triple jump.

The throwers added more podium finishes as Spencer Siegel placed third in the shot put (13.65m) and then finished runner-up in the weight throw at 14.04 meters. Talbot Reed-Jaquay posted a 10th-place finish in the shot put (10.74m) and ninth in the weight throw (11.09m), with Logan Hackenberg taking 12th in the shot (10.25m) and fifth in the weight throw (11.44m).

In the heptathlon, Hunter Robertson, Jacob Alexander, and Kaelano Kelly all completed the two-day, seven-event grind for Juniata. Alexander won the 1,000 meters in 2:48.65 and finished 10th overall with 3,145 points, while Robertson placed eighth with 3,580 points behind strong efforts in the pole vault (3.40m) and long jump (5.86m). Kelly turned in an 11th-place finish with 2,677 points, highlighted by solid efforts in the hurdles, long jump, and 1,000 meters as the Eagles' multi group closed a productive opening weekend.