The Park University indoor track & field program rose to the occasion at the 2025 Heart of America Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday in Maryville, Mo.
Park's men's team earned 3
rd place with 112 points, while the women's team took 6
th with 60 points.
The Pirates boast six individual conference champions, including
Rosjai Curtis in the 60m, Triple Jump, and Long Jump. On the mem's side the remaining champions emerged with
Alexander Caines in the 600m, Palmer O'Connor in the 1,000m, and
Lukas Mehl in the 5,000m. Each of these conference champions also set new Heart Conference Championship records in their respective events.
Altogether, Park garnered six 1
st All-Conference awards, five on 2
nd Team, four on 3
rd Team, and eight honorable mention awards.
Starting with Curtis, the freshman from Overland Park, Kan., she has been able to do it all this year and adds three Heart titles to her list of accomplishments this year. In the 60m, she set the Heart record in prelims with a 7.66, but then broke her own record in the finals with a 7.62. Her teammate
Mya Charles was in the mix for a conference title as well and took third for a Heart 3
rd Team All-Conference award with a 7.73 in the final.
Curtis was 1
st place in the Long Jump and Triple Jump as well, two events she has already earned her spot at NAIA Nationals for. In the Long Jump, Curtis has broken Park's all-time indoor record with a mark of 5.88m (19'3.5"). She also took the crown in the Triple Jump with a 11.92m distance, giving her the trifecta in all three of her events.
On the men's side, more Heart records, Park records, and conference crowns were claimed.
Alexander Caines, the school record holder in the 600m, flew away with the 600m title on a time of 1:19.61. Not only is this a Heart record, but it's also the new indoor record at Park.
Shemar Caines was on the heals of Alexander with a 1:19.64, earning a 2
nd Team All-Conference award.
O'Connor, previously earning the Park indoor school record in the 1,000m at the Iowa State Holiday Classic, dialed up another record setting performance with a 2:28.53. Along with the Heart record, he now also has his first Heart title in the 1,000m.
Ethan Willmann took 3
rd place for 3
rd Team All-Conference in the 1,000m with a time of 2:29.78, while
Tom Kuehnel is an all-conference honorable mention award winner with a 2;31.97 for 4
th place.
Our final conference champion had his personal record in the 5,000m with a time of 14:54.05, which is not just a Heart record but a Park indoor record as well. His teammate
Cayden Walker took 4
th in the event as well for an all-conference honorable mention nod with a time of 15:03.11.
This duo was also among the Heart All-Conference recipients in the 3,000m. Mehl took 3
rd with an 8:45.51, while Walker was in 6
th with an 8:53.73.
 Three of Park's relays landed 2
nd Team All-Conference performances. The men's 4x400m relay team set the Park school indoor record with a 3:18.11. The team was legged by Shemar, Alexander, O'Connor, and
Chase Housh.
The men's 4x800m team took 2
nd as well with a 7:56.43 by the likes of
Thore Wegner,
Manuel Reyes, Kuehnel, and Willmann.
The women's 4x800m relay team put together a fantastic time of 9:41.69 for a 2
nd Team All-Conference award. The group was comprised of
Hannah Mand, Lilly Comarcho,
Jonnicia Williams, and
Lily Brecheisen.Â
Erik Harken took on the challenge of the men's heptathlon, earning an honorable mention all-conference award with a 6th place in the overall competition. The highlight of the weekend in the heptahlon though was Harken's 1st place finish in the 60m hurldes of the heptathlon.
You can see all the all-conference award winners in their events below:
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| All-Conference Team |
Name |
Event |
| 1st Team |
Rosjai Curtis |
60m |
| 1st Team |
Rosjai Curtis |
Triple Jump |
| 1st Team |
Rosjai Curtis |
Long Jump |
| 1st Team |
Alexander Caines |
600m |
| 1st Team |
Palmer O'Connor |
1,000m |
| 1st Team |
Lukas Mehl |
5,000m |
| 2nd Team |
Shemar Caines |
600m |
| 2nd Team |
Alexander Caines |
800m |
| 2nd Team |
Shemar, Alexander, O'Connor, Housh |
M 4x400m Relay |
| 2nd Team |
Wegner, Reyes, Kuehnel, Willmann |
M 4x800m Relay |
| 2nd Team |
Mand, Comarcho, Williams, Brecheisen |
W 4x800m Relay |
| 3rd Team |
Mya Charles |
60m |
| 3rd Team |
Ethan Willmann |
1,000m |
| 3rd Team |
Tom Kuehnel |
1 Mile |
| 3rd Team |
Lukas Mehl |
3,000m |
| Honorable Mention |
Shanai Sweeting |
60m Hurdles |
| Honorable Mention |
Lilly Comarcho |
600m |
| Honorable Mention |
Ethan Willmann |
800m |
| Honorable Mention |
Tom Kuehnel |
1,000m |
| Honorable Mention |
Cayden Walker |
3,000m |
| Honorable Mention |
Cayden Walker |
5,000m |
| Honorable Mention |
Ahmad Evans |
Triple Jump |
| Honorable Mention |
Comarcho, F. Klamm, Pearson, Brecheisen |
Women's DMR |
| Honorable Mention |
Erik Harken |
Men's Heptathlon |
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See the full results for the rest of the Pirates Track & Field team below:
Heart Conference Championships Results
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