Track and field teams from DePaul, Valparaiso, and Oakland delivered standout performances at the Notre Dame Invitational on January 24, 2026, in South Bend, Indiana. The meet featured multiple school records, personal bests, and top finishes across sprints, distance events, and field competitions. DePaul secured six event wins in a record-setting day.
The Notre Dame Invitational took place on Saturday at the Loftus Sports Center, marking the first indoor meet of the 2026 season for several teams. DePaul's Blue Demons led with a record-setting performance, highlighted by contributions from Orozco and Welsh, resulting in six event victories.
Valparaiso athletes posted impressive results in distance and sprint events. Junior Amelia Tisdale ran the women's 1,000-meter in 3:16.59, ranking third in program history. Kensington Black set a personal record in the women's 3,000-meter at 10:09.62, finishing ninth out of 25 runners and marking the third-fastest time in Valpo history, the best since 2007. In the men's 3,000-meter, senior Alex Valerio and sophomore Tyler Swartz achieved personal bests of 8:41.29 and 8:43.50, placing 17th and 18th. Sophomore Ferdinand Rosa excelled in sprints, recording a 200-meter personal record of 22.97 for seventh place and a 400-meter time of 48.83 for fifth, close to his program second-best of 48.76. Senior Tim Whitelaw qualified for the men's 60-meter finals with 7.01 seconds, finishing sixth at 7.20. Junior Laetitia Raoult set a season-best in the women's mile at 5:10.73, while sophomore Katelyn Jaster placed fifth in the women's high jump at 1.56 meters.
Oakland's Golden Grizzlies recorded three first-place finishes, two school records, and multiple top-five results. Lauren Goodman won the women's 200-meter in 23.12 seconds and placed second in the 60-meter at 7.57. Freshman Eliza Bush broke the school record in the women's 3,000-meter with 9:41.15 for first place. Kylei Anderson finished fourth in the long jump at 5.36 meters and took a top-three spot in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.55 seconds. Pierce Grzymkowski placed third in the men's 800-meter at 1:51.06, and Evan Bryan eighth in the men's 200-meter at 22.90. Kayson Legg-Carrs set a freshman school record in the men's 60-meter hurdles prelims at 8.35 seconds, finishing fourth in the finals. In the men's mile, Anthony Hancock, Collin McLaughlin, and Tyler Donovan clocked 4:12.31, 4:21.05, and 4:25.69, respectively.
Teams like Oakland will next compete at the Jets Pizza Invitational on January 30-31.
