MILL SPRING, N.C. — The Tusculum University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams opened their 2026 season on Saturday with competition at the Tryon International Collegiate Opener.
The Pioneers earned five victories, with senior Jahzara Hart sweeping the women’s 60 and 200 meters and sophomore Kori Moore taking the women’s 60 hurdles. Freshman Ivan Garcia Rubio set a school record while winning the men’s 60-meter hurdles, and freshman Tomas Ribeiro was victorious in the mile run. In addition to Garcia Rubio, the Pioneers had school-record performance from junior Lansford Cunningham in the men’s long jump, along with senior Jesica Mbhamali in the women’s 600 meters.
Tusculum will be back in action at the Vanderbilt Invitational on Friday and Saturday, January 16-17.
MEN’S RECAP
Garcia Rubio was the top qualifier in the 60 hurdles preliminaries with a time of 8.34 seconds, then ran 8.22 seconds in the final to break the school record of 8.45 seconds set by Althiery Leontes twice during the 2021 season.
Ribeiro ran 4:17.65 in the mile and narrowly missed the program record of 4:16.99 set by Will Cronin at the VMI Winter Classic on Feb. 13, 2021.
Cunningham set a career best on the fourth of his six attempts in the long jump, then leaped 7.35 meters (24 feet, 1 1/2 inches) to break the record of 7.23 meters (23 feet, 8 3/4 inches) set last season by Joshua Stephens. Cunningham added a fifth-place finish in the 300 meters at 35.19 seconds.
Junior Chazz Alexander finished second in the 400 meters with a time of 50.24 seconds, placing him fifth on the program performance list, with junior Marshae McDonald taking sixth place at 51.43 seconds which is the eighth-best performance in school history.
Freshman Tomas Figueiras placed third in the long jump with a mark of 6.88 meters (22 feet, 7 inches), putting him in fifth place on the program performance list in his collegiate debut. In the shot put, grad student Jaden Gary took eighth place at 14.17 meters (46 feet, 6 inches) which is the fourth-best in program history.
WOMEN’S RECAP
Hart was the top qualifier in the 60 meters at 7.51 seconds, then ran 7.45 seconds in the final to tie for the fifth-best time in her career and in program history. Hart’s winning time of 24.63 seconds in the 200 meters was seventh-best in school history.
Joining Hart in the finals of the 60 meters were sophomore Qitarah Castlin, who was second with a career-best time of 7.58 seconds, Moore who was sixth in a career-best 7.74 seconds, and junior Alonda Shelton who placed seventh in 7.79 seconds.
In the 200 meters, Castlin had a career-best time of 25.02 seconds and was second, with Shelton in fifth at 25.57 seconds and junior Kialia Claiborne in sixth at 25.93 seconds. Senior Theresa Green-White took seventh in the 200 meters at 25.94 seconds.
Moore tied her career best in the finals of the 60 hurdles, winning with a time of 8.64 seconds that she posted at the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Championship. Green-White was second in 8.87 seconds, and Claiborne also qualified for finals by running 9.52 seconds and taking seventh in prelims.
Mbhamali was sixth in the 600 meters at 1:43.49, breaking the school record of 1:45.31 set by Judy Chellah at the Commonwealth College Opener on Dec. 2, 2023. Mbhamali took 10th in the mile at 5:35.25, just behind freshman Hannah McLain who was ninth in 5:34.92. McLain was second in the 1000 meters at 3:17.33, placing her second on the program performance list in the event.
Junior Kieley Smith placed third in the high jump with a career-best mark of 1.47 meters (4 feet, 9 3/4 inches).
Tryon International Collegiate Opener
at Mill Spring, N.C.
Tusculum results
MEN
60 prelims: 12. Cedric Stewart II, 7.08; 23. Ronnie Matthews III, 7.22; 26. Kayvon Pickett, 7.29; 33. Darien Humphreys, 7.52.
60 hurdles prelims: 1. Ivan Garcia Rubio, 8.34 (advances); 11. Jamal Cash, 8.83; 14. Nour Babi, 8.88.
60 hurdles finals: 1. Ivan Garcia Rubio, 8.22 (school record).
200: 18. Ronnie Matthews III, 23.34; 24. Alden Peterson, 23.73.
300: 5. Lansford Cunningham, 35.19; 17. Kayvon Pickett, 37.35; 20. Nour Nabi, 38.03; 22. Tomas Figueiras, 38.18; 24. Jamal Cash, 38.93.
400: 2. Chazz Alexander, 50.24; 6. Marshae McDonald, 51.43; 11. Alden Peterson, 52.01.
Mile: 1. Tomas Ribeiro, 4:17.65; 11. Levi Carson, 4:58.16.
3000: 26. Casen Davis, 9:43.48.
4×400: 7. Tusculum B (Peterson, Pickett, Ribeiro, Nabi), 3:30.11.
Long jump: 2. Lansford Cunningham, 7.35m (24-1 1/2) (school record); 3. Tomas Figueiras, 6.88m (22-7).
Shot put: 8. Jaden Gary, 14.17m (46-6).
WOMEN
60 prelims: 1. Jahzara Hart, 7.51 (advances); 4. Qitarah Castlin, 7.71 (advances); 5. Kori Moore, 7.72 (advances); 8. Alonda Shelton, 7.85 (advances); 10. Theresa Green-White, 7.90.
60 finals: 1. Jahzara Hart, 7.45; 2. Qitarah Castlin, 7.58; 6. Kori Moore, 7.74; 7. Alonda Shelton, 7.79.
60 hurdles prelims: 1. Kori Moore, 8.65 (advances); 2. Theresa Green-White, 8.98 (advances); 7. Kialia Claiborne, 9.52 (advances); 14. Kieley Smith, 10.10.
60 hurdles finals: 1. Kori Moore, 8.64; 2. Theresa Green-White, 8.87.
200: 1. Jahzara Hart, 24.63; 2. Qitarah Castlin, 25.02; 5. Alonda Shelton, 25.57; 6. Kialia Claiborne, 25.93; 7. Theresa Green-White, 25.94.
600: 6. Jesica Mbhamali, 1:43.49 (school record); 12. Tristen Douthat, 1:53.61.
1000: 2. Hannah McLain, 3:17.33.
Mile: 9. Hannah McLain, 5:34.92; 10. Jesica Mbhamali, 5:35.25; 22. Tristen Douthat, 6:32.55.
Shot put: 13. Shamyra Reid, 11.00m (36-1 1/4); 27. Kieley Smith, 8.74m (28-8 1/4).
High jump: 3. Kieley Smith, 1.47m (4-9 3/4).
