MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — April 29, 2025 — The Mountain East Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships concluded at Mylan Park with West Virginia Wesleyan College delivering standout performances across both track and field events. Though the University of Charleston claimed the team title, the Bobcats left a strong mark, especially in individual sprints, jumps, relays, and multi-events.

Individual Event Highlights for WVWC

• Sprints:
  • Taiwo Babawale-Thropp powered through the sprints with top-three finishes in both the 100m (10.69, 2nd) and 200m (21.14, 3rd), earning All-MEC Second Team and Honorable Mention honors, respectively.
  • Lucas Anderson also impressed, finishing 5th in both the 100m (10.83) and 200m (21.64).
  • Royell Salmon added points in the 100m (8th) and 200m (7th).
• Middle Distance:
  • Joseph Liveo clocked 49.64 for 7th place in the 400m.
• Distance and Steeplechase:
  • Jonathan Norton claimed 1st place in the 3000m Steeplechase (9:07.23), earning First Team All-MEC honors.
  • Anthony Sanders was 3rd in the Steeplechase (9:26.16), earning All-MEC Honorable Mention.
  • Norton also took 7th in the 1500m, with Cade Robinson close behind in 9th.
  • Anthony Sanders and Kent Niland scored in the 5000m and 10,000m, respectively.
• Relays:
  • WVWC's 4x100m Relay team (Salmon, Babawale-Thropp, Liveo, Anderson) captured 2nd place (40.62), earning All-MEC Second Team honors.
  • The 4x400m Relay team (Anderson, Liveo, Hulver, Babawale-Thropp) placed 2nd (3:18.11) in a thrilling finish, also securing All-MEC Second Team accolades.

Field Event Success

• Triple Jump:
  • Michael Hansford soared to a mark of 14.98m, earning 1st place and All-MEC First Team recognition.
  • Marquis Trainer and Reese Farquharson also represented WVWC in the triple jump.
• Long Jump:
  • Royell Salmon (4th, 6.76m), Michael Hansford (5th, 6.75m), and Marquis Trainer (9th) accumulated valuable points.
• Throws:
  • Brian Valiente placed 4th in the Hammer Throw (48.61m), securing 5 points.
  • In the Discus, Valiente finished 13th, while in Shot Put, he threw 12.54m for 16th.
  • Peyton Slider and Nathan Roemer finished 5th and 6th, respectively, in the Javelin.

Decathlon Excellence
West Virginia Wesleyan placed four athletes in the top ten of the Men's Decathlon, showcasing depth and versatility:

• Nate Hulver finished 3rd overall with 5,178 points, earning All-MEC Honorable Mention.
• Peyton Slider (5th), Cole Bracken (9th), and Jeremiah Zelinski (10th) rounded out a solid multi-event group.
• Bracken won the Decathlon 1500m (4:18.45), while Slider topped the Decathlon Javelin (53.07m).

All-MEC Honors for WVWC Men

• First Team All-MEC:
  • Michael Hansford – Triple Jump
  • Jonathan Norton – 3000m Steeplechase
• Second Team All-MEC:
  • Taiwo Babawale-Thropp – 100m
  • 4x100m Relay
  • 4x400m Relay
• Honorable Mention All-MEC:
  • Taiwo Babawale-Thropp – 200m
  • Anthony Sanders – 3000m Steeplechase
  • Nate Hulver – Decathlon