The indoor track season has been filled with milestones for both Men’s and Women’s Track & Field athletes.

Since the season began in December, the team has set 23 records – 13 for the men, 10 for the women.

“As one of the athletes [who has] been on this team from the very beginning it has been super exciting to see the growth within the program in just a couple years,” said Alaina Schultze, a junior Business Marketing who set new team records in hurdles in January and February.

“My goal has always been to make history, become the first female champion and leave a mark that no one can deny,” she said. “I am eager to see what the future holds for this program, because it has such … potential to be something even more amazing than it already is.” 

Sophomore Sara McGraw, a Psychology major, set three new team records. Individually, she set team bests for the 600- and 800-meter runs. She was also one of four runners (with Da’Ja Jones, Alyssa Dunlap, and Myrriam Dhoore) who set a new team record for the Distance Medley Relay.

“Breaking records was not part of my plan at all at PNW,” she said. “I came … as a cross country runner who also ran mid distance in track but never really shined too much in either. It was a shock to me that this season has been so good as it is. 

“There is still more to always do and it is important to always stay humble and focused and to focus on the bigger task at hand: your teammates’ success and your role as a student athlete working to help and support others on the same team,” she said.

That kind of team support has made Jaydon Tarohocker feel right at home.

The sophomore Construction Management major, native to Sarasota, Florida, gave up football to join the Men’s Track & Field team. In February, he set a new team record in the heptathlon.

“I knew I was going to break it,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to break the record.”

But Tarohocker, who also set a new team record for the 1,000-meter in February, said he has more to do. 

“I feel that the job isn’t done yet until I win the conference,” he said. “I never want to be satisfied. I keep momentum by not getting complacent.”

Senior Kiara Spates, a Secondary Teaching major, shares the zeal.

“My first year at PNW was the first year this school had a track and field program so my goal has always been to make history, become the first female champion, and leave a mark at PNW that no one can deny,” she said.

In February, she set new team records for the long jump and triple jump. It came as a surprise.

“With my student teaching [requirement of her major] I didn’t know how this season would go so the confidence was definitely not there in the beginning,” she said. “As I continue to compete I’ve been able to prove myself wrong.”

New team records set during the regular 2024-25 season: