Louisville finishes strong in PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational

The University of Louisville track & field teams concluded a successful weekend at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational with multiple standout performances and a new program record. The Cardinals achieved five event victories, 21 top-five finishes, and 18 personal-best performances over the two days of competition.

Director of track & field and cross country Joe Franklin expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “We saw a lot of positive things this weekend across the board. Trey Allen, Jayden Ulrich, and Cade DeWitt were all very impressive today, and we also were able to see multiple athletes write their names into our record books with their performances here.”

Trey Allen secured victory in the elite men’s high jump, clearing a final height of 2.22m (7-3.25). Brion Stephens finished as the runner-up with a clearance of 2.15m (7-0.5).

Jayden Ulrich continued to establish herself as one of the top throwers in the country, winning the women’s shot put with a mark of 17.52m (57-5.75). This mark not only ranks her fifth in the nation but also set a new meet and facility record while placing her third on the program’s all-time list.

Although Cade DeWitt didn’t claim an event victory, the freshman impressed by placing fourth in the elite men’s pole vault, clearing a bar of 5.32m (17-5.5) to surpass the indoor program record set by Sean Roth in 2021.

Temi Ariyo achieved the third win of the day for the Cardinals in the women’s mile, finishing just under a second shy of the Louisville freshman record with a time of 4:55.23. Sydney Partyka joined Ariyo in the top-five, finishing fourth in 4:58.29.

The men’s mile also produced a top-five finish for the Cardinals, as Ian Kibiwot made his season debut with a personal-best time of 4:06.77, ranking it the fifth-fastest in program history.

The Cardinals wrapped up the day on the track with a second-place finish in the women’s 4x400m relay, clocking in at 3:47.24 with the quartet of Taylor Boggess, Kiyah Yeast, Ruby Nwosu, and Sophia Day.

Noah Koch, who won the men’s weight throw on Friday, continued his strong performance by earning second place in the men’s shot put with a throw of 17.89m (58-8.5).

Roman Kuleshov made his Louisville debut in the men’s triple jump, finishing second with a leap of 15.41m (50-6.75), while Grigoris Nikolaou took the bronze with a mark of 15.23m (49-11.75).

The Cardinals concluded the weekend with fourth-place finishes in the women’s triple jump, where Alba Cuns Iglesias recorded a mark of 12.46m (40-10.5), and in the men’s heptathlon, where Paul Kallenberg finished with a total of 5,619 points.

Reflecting on the meet, Franklin stated, “In hosting this meet, we were looking to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete at an extremely high level with some of the best athletes in the nation. We feel that we accomplished that, and we are all excited to see how we continue to grow as a unit heading into February.”

Next weekend, the Louisville track & field team will split, with the majority competing in the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic on Feb. 2, while a group will travel to the New Mexico Collegiate Classic from Feb. 2-3.

For the latest updates on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com or follow the team’s Instagram and Twitter accounts at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.

Louisville track & field teams concluded the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational with impressive performances, including three event victories and a program record. Director of track & field and cross country Joe Franklin praised the athletes’ achievements and expressed optimism for the future. Trey Allen, Jayden Ulrich, and Cade DeWitt stood out as standout performers at the meet. Allen won the elite men’s high jump, while Ulrich claimed victory in the women’s shot put. DeWitt achieved a personal best in the men’s pole vault and set a new program record. Temi Ariyo won the women’s mile, narrowly missing the Louisville freshman record. The Cardinals also achieved strong results in the men’s mile and the women’s 4x400m relay. Noah Koch and Roman Kuleshov continued their excellent performances, securing podium finishes in the men’s shot put and men’s triple jump, respectively. The Cardinals look forward to their upcoming meets and are focused on continued growth and success as a team.