University of Pikeville track and field traveled to Indiana Tech over the weekend to take part in the Strive For Greatness Indoor Invitational.

The Bears exceeded expectations in their debut, setting a pair of school records as well as several personal bests over the course of the two-day event.

Noah Thomas highlighted the Bears on day one, managing podium finishes in both the weight throw and shot-put throwing events. In shot put, he recorded distances of 11.82 meters and 12.89 meters, with the latter earning him the second-place finish. In weight throw, Thomas managed a mark of 13.13 in round two, placing him third overall.

In the same event, sophomore Ethan Rowe set a new personal best, recording a distance of 10.74 meters.

Elsewhere on day one, Ja’mesha Nellum competed in the women’s weight throw where the sophomore threw a distance of 11.28 meters to finish seventh in the 13-person event. Nellum’s mark is the second-best weight throw in UPIKE history, and comes in her first competition with the Bears.

In the running events, it was Bobby Allums and Ben Hall set school records. First in the men’s 3K event, Hall recorded a career best time of 10:01.44, breaking the previous school record. Allums finished the 400M event with a time of 51.67, also earning a new school record and personal best.

UPIKE track and field returns to action in the Spring with outdoor season schedule updates ahead in the coming weeks.