'Cuse Posts School Record, 6 Event Wins and over a dozen PRs

Saturday, January 17

Ithaca, NY

Syracuse University

Upstate Challenge

'Cuse Posts School Record, 6 Event Wins and over a dozen PRs

1/17/2026 5:39:00 PM | Track and Field

Elijah Mallard set a new school record in the 400-meter dash, collecting the win at the Nittany Lion Challenge.

Mallard's record highlighted a busy day for the Orange with six event wins and over a dozen personal bests set across meets at Penn State and Cornell.

In the women's 400 at Penn State, 'Cuse took the top-two spots. Nicea Jones won the event in 55.78 seconds, in what was her first collegiate 400, while Shayla Ford PRed in a runner-up finish (57.40 seconds).

Jamir Brown won the men's 60-meter hurdles in a time of 7.63 seconds, which is the nation's third-fastest time to date this season. Isaiah Hayes (8.11 seconds) was third with another PR, followed by Tawakal Omar in seventh, with a PR time of 8.22 seconds.

Indie Wallace-Persaud won the 60-meter dash in 7.43 seconds, followed by Sierra Joesph who was 12th (7.70 seconds).

Peyton Rollins (8.35 seconds) was runner up in the 60-meter hurdles, followed immediately by Taleea Buxton (8.42 seconds). Rollins' time was a new personal best. Tia Outlaw (8.31 seconds) qualified for the finals with the top prelim time and a new PR, but did not finish, while Emeline Clark placed ninth (8.79 seconds).

Clark then posted a top-10 finish in the 300-meter dash (40.90 seconds), followed by Mia Hernandez in 16th (41.91 seconds).

At Cornell, Drew Zundell (4:03.54) and Connor Ackley (4:08.42) were the top-two finishers in the men's mile. Syracuse finished with five of the top-six finishers and nine of the top-12. Asher Danielson (4:09.14), Louis Small (4:10.65) and Ruben Rojas Betanzos (4:11.31) finished fourth through sixth, respectively. They were followed by Omar Alsaidi (4:15.99), Julian Franjieh (4:16.06), Connell Alford (4:16.06) and Sam Ricchiuti (4:16.83) who finished in succession from ninth to 12th. Charles Guerrera (4:21.63) rounded out the Orange in the 24-man field with a 14th-place finish. Zundell, Alford and Ricchiuti set new PRs in the event.

Emma Eastman won the women's mile in 4:52.05, more than three seconds ahead of the field. A pair of Cornell runners placed second and third, but Jayden Harberts (4:56.38), Madeline Heintz (4:58.12), Gretta Johnson (5:02.03), Mackenzie Cook (5:03.87), Alycia Hart (5:11.23), Sarah Lawson (5:12.70), Beatriz Fernandes (5:16.23) and Blake Parker (5:18.30) crossed the line in succession. Heintz and Parker added to the personal bests.

Samantha Bloch closed the day in the 600, finishing in 1:52.91.

Syracuse continues indoor season next weekend.