FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's and women's track and field teams opened the indoor season on Friday, December 5, competing at both the Oiler Opener and the GVSU Holiday Open. The Cougars delivered a strong start to the 2025–26 campaign, highlighted by a fifth-place team finish for the men at the University of Findlay and three school records at Grand Valley State University.

The season opener featured strong performances across multiple events, including three new school records.

• Men's High Jump: Freshman Drew Boggs set a new program record in his collegiate debut, clearing 1.97 meters (6'5").
• Men's 400m: Benjamin Marano ran the fastest indoor 400m time in school history with a 49.90 season opener.
• Men's 200m: Freshman Vincent Purcell posted a record-setting 22.68 in the 200m.

The Cougars also swept the top three spots in the men's 3,000m at the Oiler Opener, with Evan Pitts leading the charge with a winning time of 9:19.65.

OILER OPENER TOP-10 FINISHERS

• Men's 3,000m

1. Evan Pitts - 9:19.65

2. Kelvin Sanja Etiang - 9:27.90

3. Dylan Anspach - 9:31.34

• Men's 200m

4. Daniel Davis - 22.89

• Men's 60m

5. Daniel Davis - 7.09

GVSU HOLIDAY OPENER TOP-10 FINISHERS

• Men's 3,000m

6. Zane Strydom - 8:47.07

8. Taylor Stubbins - 8:52.21

The Saint Francis men's and women's indoor track and field teams will return to action following Winter Break at the Rob and Patty Lydic Invitational on January 16, followed by the Mastodon Invitational & Multis and the Indiana Tech Invite on January 17.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.