Bynes Breaks School Record, Leaps to Top of DII

(Courtesy: Chadron State College)

WAYNE, Neb. – Chayton Bynes vaulted to the top of the record books and the Division II leaderboard with a massive triple jump mark while Camila Salvucci, Ryan Clapper and Christopher Cormier also won events at the Wildcat Invite held in Wayne, Nebraska on Friday.

Bynes jumped 16.01 meters, or 52 feet, 6.5 inches, more than seven feet ahead of any competitor at the Wayne meet. The mark sets a new indoor school record, surpassing the old record of 51-8.5 set by Isaac Grimes in 2019, and set a new facility record for Wayne State.

Even more impressively, Bynes's leap is the longest jump by a Division II competitor this season, 0.07 meters and 2.75 inches farther than second-place Justin Forde of Washburn's top mark. It easily sets an NCAA provisional qualifying standard and should punch Bynes's ticket to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

In winning the women's triple jump event, Salvucci also set a Wayne State facility record and a new season best with her leap of 11.93 meters (39-1.75). Salvucci's Friday mark is four inches shy of her career best of 12.03 (39-5.75) from last year's Eagle Last Chance meet and is less than a foot off the school record of 40-0.25, set by Emily Volkmer in 2006.

Ryan Clapper had a big day in the sprints. The junior won the 200-meter dash in a season-best 21.86 seconds, which is the fifth-fastest time in the RMAC this season, and placed third in the 400 meters by running that in 48.60 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in the league this year.

Christopher Cormier edged out his teammate and the rest of the field by winning the event in 48.41, which is the third-fastest RMAC time of the season in that event. Cormier and Clapper's 400-meter times are the third and fourth-fastest ever at Chadron State indoors.

Two more Eagles were runners-up in their events. Esosa Iyengunmwena placed second in the 60-meter dash in 6.94 seconds, while Shelby Ekwall threw 13.45 meters (44-1.5) to place second in the women's shot put. Ekwall's heave was 1.25 inches shy of her career best, which came two weeks ago at the same facility.

Caleb Christensen finished sixth in the men's weight throw with a personal-best mark of 16.03 meters (52-7.25). Courtney Williams also tallied a personal best in the high jump, clearing 1.92 meters (6-3.5) to finish seventh in that event.

Paige Kehmeier had a standout performance on the women's side by placing fourth in the 15-runner women's 400 with a season best of 1:00.96.

Three more Eagles placed sixth in various events – Casey Miller in the men's shot put (14.70m/48-2.75), Eva Nitschke in the women's 60-meter hurdles (9.36 seconds), and Augustin Chiang in the men's 60 (7.09 seconds).

The Eagles will compete at the SDSU Indoor Classic in Brookings, South Dakota next Friday and Saturday.