Keydet Track and Field Excels at JMU Invitational

With only a month remaining before the Southern Conference meet, the VMI men’s and women’s track and field teams continue to pace themselves well in preparation with several top finishes and personal bests at the JMU Invitational in Harrisonburg, Virginia, April 11, 2026.

Men’s Team

Halim Hardnett ’29 won the high jump with a first-place height of 1.90 meters just ahead of teammate Vahin Middough ’29, who earned the second-place mark of 1.85 meters.

Colin Crenshaw ’27 came in first in the steeplechase with a season-best time of 10:09.42, while Camden Gonzales ’28 was close behind in third in 10:21.32. Timothy Renquist ’29 also showed well with a fifth-place time of 10:28.61.

Cameron Lambert ’29 performed well in the 1500-meter run with a second-place time of 4:05.93, while Deonte Harris ’29 came in third place in the triple jump with a distance of 14.12 meters.

Excellent Finishes

• Rye Jackson ’28  placed fourth in the 400-meter dash with a personal record time of 48.57 seconds.
• Nicholas Russo ’29 came in fifth in the 3,000-meter run in 9:46.37.
• In the shot put, Elisha Williams ’27 finished sixth at 15.05 meters, and Tazewell Rae ’28 was right behind in seventh at 14.71 meters.
• Harris also competed in the 110-meter hurdles and finished sixth in 15.11 seconds.
• Hardnett placed seventh in the 100-meter dash in 10.91 seconds
• Grayson Talbott ’29 came in eighth in the javelin throw at 41.07 meters.

Zack Scott ’89, VMI Director of Track and Field

“The men of VMI brought a focused, competitive edge today and showed what this group is capable of. We had strong efforts across multiple events, and the consistency is starting to come together. What stands out most is how the team competed for each other; that is what builds success. This was a solid step forward, and we’re motivated to keep raising the bar.”

Women’s Team

Reagan Gilman ’28 highlighted the meet for the women’s side by winning the 800-meter run in a personal and school-record time of 2:10.50, topping her own school record time of 2:12.24 set at the 2025 SoCon Outdoor Championships.

Naturale Faison ’28 came in second in the 100-meter dash with a personal-record time of 11.67 seconds, the second-fastest time in program history just behind the all-time program record by Eleyah Armstrong ’25 of 11.35 from 2024. She beat the time by Kerisha Goode ’18 of 11.69 from the 2017 season, which now stands as the third-best time in school history.

Shea Hart ’26 placed second in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.60 just ahead of JeNiya White ’28, who finished in third place in 1:04.11 at the JMU Invitational.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.

Shea Hart ’26 placed second in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.60 just ahead of JeNiya White ’28, who finished in third place in 1:04.11.

Morgan Fraser ’27 placed second in the high jump with a height of 1.63 meters, and the 4×400 relay team of SeMore Green ’26, Gilman, Miracle Eric ’28, and Taliyah Headman ’29  placed third in 3:58.18.

Zack Scott ’89, VMI Director of Track and Field

“Our women competed with toughness and confidence today. We supported each other, executed well, and continued to raise our standard. You can see the progress each meet, and it’s a reflection of the work being put in every day. We’re proud of how we showed up, and we’re excited to keep building from here.”

Excellent Marks

• Ava Buckner ’29 came in eighth in the javelin at 25.90 meters, just ahead of the mark by Ruth Dickersheid ’28 of 24.15 meters for 10th place.
• Dickersheid also competed in the shot put and finished ninth at 11.60 meters.

Complete Results

Editor’s Note: These articles were first published on vmikeydets.com.