Leavenworth, KAN. - The Ottawa men's and women's track and field teams opened the 2025 outdoor season at the Spire Distance Carnival and Team Challenge—a unique competition that combined the men's team points total with the women's team total to get an overall score. The Braves finished 2^nd of 9 but also came away with 2 new school records as well as two national championship qualifying marks.

Chase Hight was the first highlight of the weekend with his performance in the Javelin Throw, tossing a massive PR of 58.58m and hitting the NAIA 'B' qualifying standard. 

Shortly after Hight's performance, Aba Sam broke the school record in the triple jump.  Sam's jump of 11.5m bettered the previous mark set by Brianna Betts' back in 2012. 

JayOnna Perry continued her nationals qualifying streak with her winning 400m hurdles performance of 1:02.54, making it the 6^th time she has qualified for nationals and the third time outdoors.

The women's 4x100m relay of Aba Sam, Roy'Janae Brown, JayOnna Perry, and Jordyn Weems took first place with school-record setting time of 47.7 seconds, shattering the previous record of 48. 21 set by Brooke Carlile, Lori Arnold, Monico Nunnally, and Leatris Washington back in 2000. 

Other highlights include:

• The men's 4x100m relay of Isaiah Schell, Daniel Campbell, Casey Evink, and Domonic Atkinstall took first place with a time of 42.16 seconds.
• Hadyn Bieling (2.05m) and Daniel Blount (2.0m) took first and second in men's high jump.
• Jah-Nisha Campbell (5.57m), Jordyn Weems (5.41m) and Aba Sam (5.32m) placed 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th in women's long jump.
• Kena Leonard placed second in women's shot put with a throw of 11.75m.
• Ciera Hutton-Spieker (34.82m) and Zoie Means-Thomas (34.34m) placed second and third in women's discus.
• Roy'Janae Brown placed third in the women's 200 in a time of 25.28 seconds.

Coach Whittaker's thoughts on the first outdoor meet of the year:

"I'm just really proud of the way this team has improved throughout indoor season and into outdoor.  This is one of the best outdoor season openers we've had since I've been here, and if you compare it to how we opened our indoor season back in January, you almost wouldn't think it's the same team.  We still have long way to go, but if this weekend is a sign of what's to come, we're going to have a lot of fun this season."

The Braves will be back in action on March 27 and 28 at the ESU Relays at Emporia State.