Pittsburg, KS - Led by a record-breaking performance from senior high-jumper
Madison Ramos, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's and men's track and field teams began their indoor season in Pittsburg at the Boo Rogers Combined events and the Crimson and Gold Invitational.
In total, 14 Javelina athletes, four women and 10 men, competed in the Sunflower State, starting TAMUK's 2025-26 season off on the right foot.
"Overall, I think the weekend went well," Head Coach
Ryan Dall said. "I think we got a lot of marks that will hold up for conference qualifying, so it's good we knocked those out. Obviously at the first meet, we need to keep our expectations in check, but we competed very well."
One day after being named to the Lone Star Conference's Athletes to Watch list, Ramos led the way for the Javelinas with a 1.76m clearance in the high jump, breaking her own school record in the event. She set that record (1.75m) at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships, a jump that earned her First Team All-American honors.
"Maddy really has stepped up her performances starting last year and she's continuing that right into this year," Dall said. "Opening up with a PR and school record is really a great performance by her. That mark should also put her in the top few in the nation in Division II. I'm very proud of her."
Freshman distance runner
Leon Doran wasn't far behind in the history-making department, running a 4:19.09 in the mile at his first collegiate invite, placing him third on the all-time Javelina performers list.Â
Hosted by Pittsburg St., the meets see more than 1,000 athletes from 31 teams compete across Friday and Saturday. Though Kingsville brought a small portion of their teams, both of which made history with stellar performances last season, the squad produced a number of solid performances. Among them, senior
Ivanova Yanes' sub-18-minute 5k time, junior
Kenzie Kurdys's 3.45m clearance in the pole vault (T-5th on all-time Javelina performers list), junior Jhonatan Rodriquez-Osorno's 1:52.93 in the 800m, and graduate student
Michael Samihamba's 48.80 in the 400m.
A more complete crew will hit the oval for Kingsville on January 10th, beginning the calendar year at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational in Houston.
Complete Team Results:
Women's:
Pentathlon:
- 2786 -
Afaf Benhadja
5000m
- 17:57.46 -
Ivanova Yanes
High Jump
- 1.76m -
Madison Ramos (School Record)
- 1.59m -
Afaf Benhadja
Pole Vault
- 3.45m -
Kenzie Kurdys (T-5th, school history)
Men's:
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Heptathlon:
- 4919 -
Jason Gordon
- 4462 -
Christopher Gonzalez
- 4456 -
Jayden McCoy
- 4030 -
Caden Soliz
Pole VaultÂ
- 4.90m -
Django Segovia
- 4.75m - Gage Upton
- 4.45m -
Wesley Miller
1 Mile Run
- 4:19.09 -
Leon Doran (third in school history)
400 Meter Dash
- 48:80 -
Michael Samihamba
800 Meter Run
- 1:52.93 - Jhonatan Rodriquez Osorno
- 1:56.78 -
Leon Doran
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