AZUSA, Calif./JONEBORO, Ark. (4/17/26) – Arkansas State track and field freshman distance runner Joe Edwards posted a top-three finish in the men's 800 meters (Open B) at the Bryan Clay Invitational while nine Red Wolves earned event wins in the first day of action at the Arkansas State Alumni Classic.
 
ARKANSAS STATE ALUMNI CLASSIC
A-State recorded first-place finishes in nine of the 11 events held on the first day and 12 athletes established new personal bests. Syriah Boyd and Spencer Taylor highlighted the Red Wolves' day by sweeping the men's and women's 200 meters.
 
Boyd clocked in at 23.83 and jumped to sixth on the program's outdoor top 10 list for the event, while Taylor's time of 20.87 puts him at fifth.
 
KG Ryan recorded a second-place finish in the women's pole vault and became the seventh Red Wolf on the women's side to reach a height of 4.00m (13-1.50) or higher. She set a new personal best with a height of 4.01m (13-1.75) in the event and now places sixth in A-State's outdoor record book.
 
Annika Wilbanks threw for a personal-best distance of 49.80m (163-5.00) while Egor Kniazev posted a 62.76m (205-11.00) mark to secure first place in the men's and women's hammer throw. John Carswell and Carly Pujol swept the pole vault events for A-State, as the former reached a height of 5.22m (17-1.50) and the latter registered a 4.21m (13-9.75) mark to end the day.
 
Gracie Jacobs clocked in at 4:44.30 to win the women's 1500 meters and Kiara Strayhorn recorded her second event title in as many weeks with a 6.06m (19-10.50) distance in the women's long jump. Robert York became the third Red Wolves freshman to win an event in the 2026 outdoor season, joining Edwards and Finja Dziobek after recording a distance of 53.15m (174-5.00) in the men's javelin throw.
 
BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL
Edwards recorded the highest finish by an A-State athlete in the second day of action, registering a time of 1:51.05 to finish third in the 800 meters. Craig Becker was the next highest finisher for A-State at 38th with a time of 1:53.02, and Gabe Falting set a new personal best in the event with a time of 1:53.55.
 
Brandon Williams, Brett Jacobs and Maja Dzialoszewska also set personal bests in the 800 meters. Williams posted the sixth-fastest time in A-State's outdoor history at 1:49.56 while Jacobs was not far behind at 1:51.38.
 
Dzialoszewska clocked in at 2:14.58 on the women's side and finished 51st out of 127 contestants.
 
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves conclude competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, and the Arkansas State Alumni Classic on April 18.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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