The Valparaiso University men's and women's track and field programs recorded three new entries into the program record book this weekend at the two-day Tennessee Invite, hosted by Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
 
How It Happened

• Junior Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Cape Henlopen) heaved the second-best javelin throw in program history on Saturday. His mark of 57.53 meters (188-9) established a personal best and helped him place sixth of 21. That represented Valpo's top mark in the javelin since Jeremy Getz set a program record 212-9 in 2015.
• In the women's 100, sophomore Juliana Ferrara (Fox River Grove, Ill. / Cary-Grove) crossed the finish line in 12.32 seconds, second in outdoor program history. She had the fastest time by a Valpo athlete in that event since Amanda Body set the program record at 12.27 in 2009.
• Another record book entry came in the men's 400, where freshman Ferdinand Rosa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico / American Military Academy) finished 17^th of 41 at 49.32 seconds. He edged out Andrew Butts' 2014 time of 49.44 for the fifth-fastest in program history. Rosa recorded the fastest outdoor 400 by a Valpo man since 2021 (Emanuel Daggett, 48.80).
• Sophomore Taylor Pusateri (Portage, Ind. / Genoa-Kingston) lowered her own personal best that already ranked fifth in program history in the women's 200 at 25.92 seconds.
• Valpo had top-10 finishes in 40-runner fields in both the men's and women's 5000. Sophomore Karson Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Crystal Lake) took third on the men's side in 14:56.06, while fifth-year senior Chante Dixon (Benoni, South Africa / Kempton Park) stopped the clock in 18:11.15 to place eighth for the women.
• In the 800, sophomore Ally Higbee (Oconomowoc, Wis. / Oconomowoc) had a PR of 2:36.75, while men's sophomore Noah Meacham (Tulsa, Okla. / Broken Arrow) placed 14^th of 53 with a season best of 1:55.53.
• The women's 1500 featured a pair of PRs, with Laetitia Raoult (Guingamp, France / Florida International) leading the way at 5:01.56, followed by Higbee at 5:13.16.
• In the 400 hurdles, Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) PR'd at 1:11.62.
• In the throws, senior Reid Davis (Nashville, Ind. / Brown County) placed in the top half of a 27-athlete field in the discus with his personal-best toss of 44.15m (144-10).

Up Next
Valpo will compete in the Normal Invite hosted by Illinois State next weekend in Normal, Ill.