KEARNEY, Neb. – A small, select group of Chadron State track and field athletes competed for one final time in the 2025-26 season at the Loper Twilight Meet hosted by Nebraska-Kearney. While the Eagles tallied one relay and one individual event win, the Eagles failed to record a season-best in any event and improve their cases for nationals qualification. 

The 4x100 relay squad of Esosa Iyengunmwena, Ayden Hartzell, Ryan Clapper and Joshua St. Jean circled the track in 40.58 seconds, 0.11 off their season's top altitude-converted time of 40.47 that ranks 42nd in NCAA Division II (No. 32 with duplicates from same schools removed). Sunday's 40.58 was a meet-winning time for CSC and finished a full second ahead of the closest competitor. 

Two days after delivering a massive personal best in the shot put, Shelby Ekwall won that event yet again at the Kearney meet. Her event-winning throw of 13.99 meters (45-10.75) is about a foot-and-a-half shy of her Friday mark of 14.13m (46-4.25) but is her second-best throw of the year. Ekwall ranks No. 36 in Division II.

Four women's throws (Ekwall, Sydney Alles, Ashlyn Tapio and Kristie Jordan) competed on Sunday. Alles finished second in the hammer throw, tossing it 50.51 meters (160-8), her third-best mark of the year. Tapio tallied a third in the shot put (12.92 meters, 42-4.75) and a fourth in the discus (42.46 meters, 139-4). 

Jordan competed in both the shot put and hammer throw and managed a season-best in the latter event, throwing the hammer 42.84 meters (140-7) while finishing eighth at the meet. 

The men's individual crew from Chadron State was light on entries. Aside from running in the relay, Iyengunmwena placed third in the open 100 in 10.71 seconds while St. Jean did not start the event. 

Men's discus RMAC champion Tavion Leatherdale did not record a mark in the discus, fouling on all three attempts. Leatherdale currently ranks No. 38 in Division II. 

The 4x400 relay could not reach the heights of two days prior, when the Eagles came within 0.01 seconds of a school record in 3:12:17. The quartet of Kadin Perez, Ryan Clapper, Christopher Cormier and Ayden Hartzell ran 3:12:73 during Sunday's meet, finishing behind RMAC rival UCCS but easily besting Nebraska Wesleyan. 

The qualifers for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Emporia, Kansas are set to come out early next week. Triple jumper Chayton Bynes is the only lock for CSC, as the Chadron native ranks fourth in the nation in that event. Other CSC entries, particularly the relays and decathlete Courtney Williams, could get the call if other schools scratch or drop out.