LYNCHBURG, Va. – Western Kentucky University’s track and field team begins competition at the Conference USA Indoor Championships Friday at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. The two-day meet will see the Hilltoppers vying for a conference title against teams including Liberty, Sam Houston, and Kennesaw State.
WKU athletes enter the competition with recent momentum, highlighted by several personal records achieved at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, February 13-14. Kinley Kunkel led the charge, setting a personal best in the women’s 3000-meter race with a time of 9:39.87, improving her previous record by over five seconds. She currently ranks fourth in WKU indoor track and field history in that event. Kunkel followed that performance with another PR in the 5000-meter, winning the event in 16:45.08, a time that places her fifth all-time at WKU.
Ajla Basic also posted a personal record at the Tyson Invitational, achieving a 19.71-meter toss in the weight throw, surpassing her previous best of 19.40 meters. This mark is the second-best in WKU indoor history, breaking a record set in 2017 by Jenessa Jackson. Trevor Hudnall also achieved a personal best at the Tyson Invitational, completing the men’s mile in 4:09.70.
Liberty is hosting the CUSA Indoor Championships for the third consecutive year, and is aiming for a fifth straight indoor conference title, having previously won titles in the ASUN and CUSA conferences. The Liberty men’s team will be looking to regain the top spot after finishing second to Kennesaw State at last year’s meet, ending a 27-year championship streak.
Several WKU athletes currently hold top rankings within Conference USA. Sam Crenshaw leads the league in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 5.27 meters, even as Sophia Roskoski leads the women’s pole vault at 4.17 meters. The WKU distance medley relay team, comprised of Parker Smith, Ben Dunkle, Balcom, and Hudnall, holds the top time in CUSA at 10:07.18. Sterling Weldon is currently ranked second in the long jump with a mark of 7.50 meters, and Basic holds the second-best mark in the weight throw at 19.71 meters. Jayla Gilbert is fourth in the shot set with a throw of 14.77 meters.
Competition begins Friday at 9 a.m. CT with combined events. Field events are scheduled to start at noon CT with the women’s pole vault, followed by the women’s weight throw and long jump. Track events begin at 2 p.m. CT with the mile trials. Saturday’s events commence at 9:30 a.m. CT with the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles, with field events starting at 11 a.m. CT. The meet will conclude Saturday with the 4×400 relays at 3:50 and 4:15 p.m. CT, followed by an awards ceremony.
Live results and coverage will be available via ESPN+ on both Friday and Saturday. Further information can be found on the WKU Track and Field Twitter account, WKUXCTF, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.
