GCU breaks 4 school records at Bryan Clay

Thursday, April 16

Azusa, Calif.

Grand Canyon

Bryan Clay Invitational

4/19/2026 7:45:00 AM | Track and Field

Results School Records

Burkett, Lowder, Lemaître, Sartin make Lopes history; team sets MW, region top marks in loaded field

By: Josh Hauser

AZUSA, Calif. — Grand Canyon delivered a record-setting performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational, breaking four program records while adding multiple conference- and region-leading marks against one of the nation's deepest fields.

The Lopes were led by a historic weekend in the field events, where graduate Taryn Burkett reset her school record in the triple jump at 13.41 meters (44 feet). The mark far surpassed her previous record of 13.0 meters set just two weeks ago and now ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West, No. 1 in the West Region and tied for fifth nationally.

GCU junior Eva Lowder added another event victory and record performance in the pole vault, clearing 4.35 meters (14 feet, 3 1/4 inches) to break former NCAA Championships qualifier Madelyn Lundberg's program record of 4.27 meters that had stood since 2021. Lowder's clearance leads the MW and ranks No. 11 in the West Region and No. 17 nationally, continuing her rise among the conference's elite vaulters.

On the track, Lopes senior Germain Lemaitre broke his school record in the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute, 47.2 seconds, improving upon his previous top mark of 1:47.43 set earlier this season. Lemaitre's performance placed him second in the invitational field and ranks No. 2 in the MW and No. 16 in the West Region.

Graduate hurdler Maria Sartin completed the quartet of records, lowering her program mark in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.33. She eclipsed her previous record of 59.63 set earlier this season, moving up to No. 6 in the MW performance list.

GCU also saw a number of additional high-level performances throughout the meet. Sophomore Francisco Marques won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.78, a time that ranks No. 2 in the MW and No. 19 in the West Region. Junior Taliyah Booker clocked 53.15 in the 400 meters to rank sixth in the conference, while sophomore Nina Thevenin posted a strong sprint double of 11.51 in the 100 and 23.57 in the 200.

In the jumps, sophomore Blake Heller recorded a long jump of 7.54 meters (24 feet, 9 inches) that ranks No. 2 in the MW, while junior Antoni Smith and freshman Eliot George each cleared 2.08 meters (6 feet, 9 3/4 inches) in the high jump. Sophomore Praise Jibunor added a notable double of 7.44 meters in the long jump and 2.07 meters in the high jump.

The distance group also contributed with junior Tristen Coyle (3:43.81) and senior Jagger Zlotoff (3:45.52) posting competitive times in the 1,500 meters.

With four school records and multiple top-10 MW and top-25 West Region marks, the Lopes' performance at Bryan Clay helps ready the team for next month's MW Championships with just one regular-season meet remaining — the May 2 Desert Heat Classic in Tucson.