Posted: Apr 10, 2025
SSU M&W T&F to compete at Lee (Tenn.), SSU M&W Tennis to hold home matches against Oakland City, Brescia
Along with the schedule changes that have already been highlighted for baseball, softball and men's and women's golf, a total of nine track and field athletes will represent Shawnee State at the two-day Lee Athletics Fast Break Invitational in Cleveland, Tenn., while the Shawnee State men's and women's tennis programs conclude their regular seasons with home matches against Oakland City (Ind.) Saturday afternoon and Brescia (Ky.) Sunday afternoon.
Track and Field
Track and field wise, Shawnee State will certainly put itself to the test as the Bears will have nine different athletes -- two women and seven men -- participate in the highly competitive Lee Athletics Fast Break Invitational.
The two-day event, which is being held at the Ray Conn Sports Complex in Cleveland, Tenn., will see the best of the best athletes competing from over 100 different collegiate programs at all levels of track and field just a stone's throw away from Interstate 75 -- and less than a half-hour away from neighboring Chattanooga, Tenn. to the south.
"We are excited for the Lee Fast Break Invitational," Shawnee State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Conner Flynn said. "Over the years, it's become a staple in our schedule. It offers great, competitive fields, especially for the long distance events. We are hoping to hit some standard caliber marks and prepare us moving forward."
Of the nine track and field athletes who will take part in the two-day event on Shawnee State's behalf, the Bears will be sending five distance runners, three field athletes and another individual who will compete in three events across sprint and field. Five of the nine athletes will compete across both days of the event, as well -- while six of the nine talents that the Bears are bringing to the two-day event down south will compete in at least two or more events.
Field-wise, Jaina Bailey (hammer throw), Eli Adkins (high jump), Alan Austin (discus, shot put) and Luke Rader (long jump, triple jump) will represent Shawnee State in competition this weekend.
Despite three of the four individuals being newcomers to the team, either by way of transfer (Bailey and Rader) or as an incoming freshman (Adkins), the previously mentioned quartet have wasted no time establishing themselves as River States Conference -- and national -- frontrunners.
Nationally, Austin has the top discus mark in the River States Conference and the ninth-best discus throw nationally as well as the second-best shot put mark in the RSC, while Bailey, a stout hammer throw talent, leads all participants in the River States Conference, including NAIA National Champion shot put talent Sydney Duncan from Indiana-Kokomo, in the hammer. Adkins also currently leads the RSC in the high jump, having cleared six feet, seven inches at the Charlotte 49er Classic back in March.
Rader, a NAIA All-American in the indoor long jump this past winter, sits second in the long jump, conference-wise, so far from an outdoor standpoint. Rader will also compete in the triple jump, and will also be the lone sprinter taking part in matters over the weekend when the sophomore competes in the 110 meter hurdles -- which Rader is ranked fourth in among all River States Conference competitors.
"For the field athletes, we will have Luke, Alan, Eli, and Jaina competing," Flynn said. "All four of these individuals are nationally competitive in their events. Alan, Eli, and Jaina have had great seasons with their efforts, and we are excited for Luke to be back healthy and ready to compete."
As good as the above four talents are, Shawnee State has just as good of an opportunity to compete nationally in its distance events.
Olivia Cisco (10,000 meter run) and Isaiah Lanoy (3,000 meter steeplechase) are reigning NAIA National Championship participants in those respective events, and Isaiah Lanoy, who is competing in the 5,000 meter run in addition to the 3,000 meter steeplechase, is the fastest 3,000 meter steeplechase athlete in the conference by nearly 10 full seconds as well as the third-fastest 5,000 meter run athlete in the RSC to boot. Cisco set her NAIA National 'B' Standard qualifying time in the 10,000 meter run exactly one year ago to qua
Behind those two, Isaiah's brothers, Kaiden and Trevor Lanoy, along with Dylan French, will all be running.
French, the fastest 5,000 meter run athlete in the conference and the fourth-fastest 800 and 1,500 meter run athlete, will participate in the 800 meter run and the 10,000 over the weekend, while Trevor Lanoy -- the second-fastest 800 meter run athlete in the conference -- will race alongside French in the 800 and will race with fellow brother Isaiah in the 5,000. Kaiden Lanoy rounds out the list of participants -- as Kaiden, the fourth-fastest 5,000 meter runner in the RSC, will race in the 800 meters and the 10,000 meter run.
"Lee is definitely a point of the season that can set the tone for the final six weeks of the season," Flynn said. "We had a great showing last year with standard performances from Aiden and Cisco, and we are looking to repeat that this year."
Tennis
Tennis-wise, Shawnee State will finish out its regular season slates against Oakland City (11 a.m.) Saturday and Brescia (2 p.m.) Sunday. The Bears will honor four seniors -- Brooklyn Foose, McKenzie Harman, Antonia Ilea, and Adam Stanley -- Sunday afternoon when the Bears face the Bearcats.
In its match against Indiana-Southeast March 29, Ilea scored a victory at No. 1 singles over the Grenadiers' Maci Vaughn (6-1, 6-3), while Stanley also supplied a victory at No. 4 singles on the men's side with his 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Indiana-Southeast's Paxton Evitts.
Zinedine Arva Purbo added in the additional victories for the Bears on the day -- winning at No. 2 singles over Indiana-Southeast's DJ Hall, 6-3, 6-1 and teaming with Daniel Cristobal Cervantes to post a 6-0 win at No. 2 doubles over Hall and Evitts.
Additional
For more information regarding the adjusted schedules for baseball, softball and men's and women's golf, visit https://www.ssubears.com/general/2024-25/releases/20250404r8lzb4.
