ALLIANCE, Ohio - To begin the 2026 outdoor season, the Malone University track & field team competed in the Stark County Challenge at the University of Mount Union.
 
The duo of Phil Stupka and Bryant Thompson were among the top finishers in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events. Stupka was the event winner in both with times of 10.53 seconds and 21.45 seconds, good for the fourth and ninth-best marks in school history. Thompson had times of 10.70 seconds and 21.74 seconds to finish third and second.
 
Otani Ekpe was second in the 400-meter hurdle event (57.73 seconds) and third in the 110-meter hurdle event (15.37 seconds). Runner-up finishes were also credited to Xander Heil in the 5000-meter run (15:34.54) and Caden McClure in the pole vault (4.54 meters / 14' 10.75").
 
Gavin Tribelo and Aidan Mastaso were third in their field events. Tribelo had a best throw of 14.67 meters (48' 1.75") in the shot put and Mastaso had a throw of 42.74 meters (140' 3.00") in the discus. The 4x400-meter relay team of Caden LaRue, Will Potts, Hayden Coughanour and Brylan Holland was third with a time of 3:34.91.
 
The Pioneer women had four event wins. Amber Morris was victorious in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.89 seconds and SaRae Johnson was in tow in third at 13.00 seconds. Morris (26.80 seconds) was also runner-up to event winner Abigail Blaz (26.47 seconds) in the 200-meter dash. Allea Graves had the other individual event win in the 800-meter run at 2:23.00 with Brooklyn McIntyre second (2:23.12).
 
The final victory came from the 4x400-meter relay team of McIntyre, Rachel Whetstone, Marisa Brown and Kristin Yeager. That squad of student-athletes ran a time of 4:22.08. Yeager was also second in the 1500-meter run at 4:52.74. The lone top-three finish in field events was Isabelle Perry in the shot put. She was third at 11.82 meters (38' 9.50").
 
The Raleigh Relays are the next event on the schedule for the Pioneers. The three-day meet begins on Thursday, March 26.