T-Bird Track & Field comes away with two National Runner-Up finishes and 15 All-Americans at Indoor Nationals
Sunday , March 9, 2025 - 9:00 p.m. | Dylan DeVlieger
Mesa Track and Field had a successful performance at Indoor Nationals in Lubbock, TX over the weekend.
Women's Track and Field:
Mesa's Women finished in 11th place nationally with 20 points finishing just 1.5 points behind Pima as the Aztecs finished 10th with 21.5 points.
The Lady T-Birds had two National Runner-Up athletes as Sara Jacobson and Madisyn Williams both earned the honor in their respective events.
Jacobson set a new PR in the Pentathlon as she scored 3411 points just 38 points behind the National Champion. Jacobson finished first in the Shot Put and the 800m but an 8th place finish in the 60m Hurdles and a 6th place finish in the High Jump made it difficult for Jacobson to close the gap.
Jacobson has had a historic Indoor season as she was ranked No. 1 going into the weekend. Interim head coach Daniel Pescador is incredibly proud of Jacobson for her performance after being away from the sport for two years.
"Sara capped an amazing return to competition. It's been amazing to see her take in all of the guidance and coaching. It really paid off and I am extremely proud of Sara. She really gave a huge effort in her final event, the 800m and she came very close to being the national champion," said Pescador.
Madisyn Williams finished as the National Runner-Up in the Pole Vault as she clutched up in his third attempt at 12 feet 3.5 inches before nailing a new PR and school record of 12 feet 7.5 inches right after. Williams stayed cool, calm, and composed throughout the competition which helped lead her to the podium.
"Madisyn had a phenomenal meet staying clean through the majority of her first few bars. She kept that momentum to continue to outlast the competition, set a big personal best and earn the National Runner Up spot. She also smashed the school record," said Pescador.
SeiOriana Glass set a PR in five of her six throws as she hit 15.61m in her third attempt. Glass finished 8th to earn All-American honors. The Lady T-Birds Distance Medley Relay team of Lucy Melzer, Kate Dare, Katie Munoz, and Carmella Baldwin earned All-American status as they finished 7th in the event with a time of 12:34.95.
Mesa's 4x800 team of Lucy Melzer, Kendra Guest, Katie Munoz, and Carmella Baldwin also earned All-American honors as they finished 8th with a time of 9:43.77.
Men's Track & Field:
The T-Bird Men finished 20th place nationally with 9.33 points, which is the second best finish for a Region I school behind Pima who finished in 15th place with 17.66 points.
Myles Larsen earned All-American honors in the Heptathlon as he finished in 7th place with 4861 points. Larsen had his best showing in the 1000m as he came in third place and the Pole Vault where he finished in 4th.
Larsen had a big leap from last Indoor Nationals where he finished without a podium finish, to earning All-American honors this season. Larsen knew in the 1000m he had to make a big push to earn the hardware and he did not disappoint.
"Myles competed extremely hard over the 2 days of the heptathlon. It came down to the very last event, the 1000m run," said Pescador, "Myles knew he needed to have a very hard run to score and he went out and laid it all out there. He really wanted to get on the podium, and he went out and ran for it."
DeAndre Gatlin earned All-American honors finishing 8th in the High Jump as he connected at 2.04m.
Austin John finished 8th in the Weight Throw with a toss of 16.80m which was good enough to earn him All-American honors. John, just like Larsen had a noticeable leap from last season to this season and the growth has not fallen by the wayside.
"We're extremely proud of Austin for how he competed! He did not qualify indoors last year, and did not score outdoors, so for him to come in and leave as an All American is a testament to the work he has done," said Pescador.
The Men's 4x800 team of Caden Hardison, Benett Kaup, Parker Stoft, and Corbin Pyle finished 3rd earning All-American status as they clocked a time of 7:34.11. The all freshman group set a new school record in the event and even ran a faster time than the current outdoor record in the event.
The Thunderbirds revamped coaching staff worked extremely hard to prepare their athletes for Nationals and the success of the team is a testament to that effort.
"I am extremely proud of the coaching staff that we have, and the tremendous work they have done to improve the program and our athletes. It was a very fun and great first national meet together! We had a great team effort, and wonderful experience having all of the coaches and athletes rooting and motivating each other," said Pescador.
Click here to view the entire results from Indoor Nationals.
