Friday, January 16
Gainesville, Fla. / Alachua County Sports & Events Center
University of North Florida
vs
Jimmy Carnes Invitational
Three Records Broken in Season Opener at Jimmy Carnes Invitational
1/16/2026 7:00:00 PM | Men's Track, Women's Track
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - North Florida track and field rewrote the record books during the indoor season opener with three new program-best marks at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center on Friday afternoon.
Rey Hernandez was the highlight of the meet with his 2026 debut including a pair of program records in both the 60m hurdles and the 200m dash. The junior set the 60mH record twice during both the prelim and final races to set the bar at 7.89, while the 200m was the third program time surpassed on the day for Hernandez with a 21.20 mark.
Another new record holder for UNF was newcomer Avaunt Ortiz, who placed third in the 400m race with a program-best time of 47.93. The Tennessee transfer also placed top 10 in the 200m dash to combine for four record-setting times in Gainesville.
The Ospreys combined for a total of nine placements with the top three overall. The top finishes belonged to Hernandez first-place run in the 200m dash, followed with Ella Chandler and Katerina Natsiopoulou sweeping the top two of the 800m race.
On the field side, Kaleb Johnson and Nicole Shepherd were dialed in for the high jump with third-place finishes in their respective events. Nataly Walters posted a strong mark as well in her collegiate debut placing seventh in the long jump for the Ospreys.
Aiden Arnold (mile), Ortiz (400m), Rashad Hemissi (800m) and Parker Banzhaf (3000m) were among the remaining top-three finishers at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational. The men showed four Ospreys in the top seven for the mile and three in the top six for the 800m, while the women had five UNF runners in the top 11 overall for the 3000m race.
The Ospreys will continue its indoor slate with a two-day event at the ACSEC Invitational hosted once again at Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, Fla.
"The preparation is obvious. These teams showed up ready to make it a great year. I'm very proud of the effort. The results were good and we'll just keep getting better."
-- Jeff Pigg, Director of Cross Country / Track and Field
Field Events
Men's High Jump
Kaleb Johnson - 3rd - 2.05m (6-8.75)
Tyshone Bolden - 4th - 2.00m (6-6.75)
Jayvin Strouble - T5th - 2.00m (6-6.75)
Women's Long Jump
Nataly Walters - 7th - 5.82m (19-1.75)
Rylie Jackson - 26th - 5.33m (17-6)
Men's Long Jump
Colin Maxwell - 11th - 6.36m (20-10.5)
Mike Luma - 14th - 6.02m (19-9)
Women's Triple Jump
Nataly Walters - 13th - 11.85m (38-10.5)
Rylie Jackson - 16th - 11.77m (38-7.5)
Women's High Jump
Nicole Shepherd - 3rd - 1.75m (5-8.75)
Renske Drenten - 8th - 1.60m (5-3)
Lucie Frazier - 12th - 1.60m (5-3)
Running Events
Women's Mile
Ana Markovina - 9th - 4.56.66
Annika Buser - 20th - 5:13.29
Jada Williams - 23rd - 5:17.22
Men's Mile
Aiden Arnold - 3rd - 4:09.68
Christian Ruocco - 5th - 4;12.16
Andrew Mahorner - 6th - 4:12.28
Ryan Douihech - 7th - 4:13.97
William Montanye - 10th - 4:17.90
Ben Tary - 11th - 4:18.40
Joshua Gammage - 12th - 4:19.13
Men's 60mH Prelims
Rey Hernandez - 6th (Q) - 8.01
Troy Williams - 11th - 8.78
Women's 60mH Prelims
Camryn Batt - 26th - 9.33
Serenity Miller - 32nd - 9.73
Women's 60m Prelims
Ivory Edgecomb - 29th - 7.85
Camryn Batt - 37th - 8.15
Mackenzie Carney - 39th - 8.46
Serenity Miller - 40th - 8.54
Men's 60m Prelims
Cole Dauper - 10th - 7.00
William Owens - 11th - 7.03
Jonathan Bailey - 14th - 7.06
Women's 400m
Gabby Johnson - 9th - 57.59
Melissa Epting - 12th - 58.31
Navia Casa - 16th - 59.59
Men's 400m
Avaunt Ortiz - 3rd - 47.93*
Troy Williams - 9th - 49.60
Donovan Ferguson - 10th - 49.97
Men's 60mH Final
Rey Hernandez - 6th - 7.89*
Women's 800m
Ella Chandler - 1st - 2:11.19
Katerina Natsiopoulou - 2nd - 2:12.26
Men's 800m
Rashad Hemissi - 3rd - 1:53.55
Mason Spearin - 4th - 1:55.32
Shamar Henry - 6th - 1:55.73
Women's 200m
Gabby Johnson - 24th - 25.63
Ivory Edgecomb - 26th - 25.73
Melissa Epting - 36th - 26.54
Camryn Batt - 38th - 26.70
Navia Casa - 40th - 26.83
Men's 200m
Rey Hernandez - 1st - 21.20*
Avaunt Ortiz - 9th - 22.02
William Owens - 10th - 22.16
Cole Dauper - 12th - 22.53
Jonathan Bailey - 15th - 22.69
Women's 3000m
Lilly Schuster - 5th - 10:04.87
Laci Watford - 7th - 10:10.50
Madeline Castillo - 8th - 10:12.37
Cohen Kooker - 9th - 10:16.29
Brooke Yates - 11th - 10:26.15
Men's 3000m
Parker Banzhaf - 3rd - 8:21.40
Colton Lawson - 10th - 8:30.83
Cole Perry - 13th - 8:37.62
Jayden Santos-Gonzalez - 15th - 8:42.01
Rey Hernandez was the highlight of the meet with his 2026 debut including a pair of program records in both the 60m hurdles and the 200m dash. The junior set the 60mH record twice during both the prelim and final races to set the bar at 7.89, while the 200m was the third program time surpassed on the day for Hernandez with a 21.20 mark.
Another new record holder for UNF was newcomer Avaunt Ortiz, who placed third in the 400m race with a program-best time of 47.93. The Tennessee transfer also placed top 10 in the 200m dash to combine for four record-setting times in Gainesville.
The Ospreys combined for a total of nine placements with the top three overall. The top finishes belonged to Hernandez first-place run in the 200m dash, followed with Ella Chandler and Katerina Natsiopoulou sweeping the top two of the 800m race.
On the field side, Kaleb Johnson and Nicole Shepherd were dialed in for the high jump with third-place finishes in their respective events. Nataly Walters posted a strong mark as well in her collegiate debut placing seventh in the long jump for the Ospreys.
Aiden Arnold (mile), Ortiz (400m), Rashad Hemissi (800m) and Parker Banzhaf (3000m) were among the remaining top-three finishers at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational. The men showed four Ospreys in the top seven for the mile and three in the top six for the 800m, while the women had five UNF runners in the top 11 overall for the 3000m race.
The Ospreys will continue its indoor slate with a two-day event at the ACSEC Invitational hosted once again at Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, Fla.
PIGG'S POINTS
"The preparation is obvious. These teams showed up ready to make it a great year. I'm very proud of the effort. The results were good and we'll just keep getting better."-- Jeff Pigg, Director of Cross Country / Track and Field
OSPREY RESULTS
Field EventsMen's High Jump
Kaleb Johnson - 3rd - 2.05m (6-8.75)
Tyshone Bolden - 4th - 2.00m (6-6.75)
Jayvin Strouble - T5th - 2.00m (6-6.75)
Women's Long Jump
Nataly Walters - 7th - 5.82m (19-1.75)
Rylie Jackson - 26th - 5.33m (17-6)
Men's Long Jump
Colin Maxwell - 11th - 6.36m (20-10.5)
Mike Luma - 14th - 6.02m (19-9)
Women's Triple Jump
Nataly Walters - 13th - 11.85m (38-10.5)
Rylie Jackson - 16th - 11.77m (38-7.5)
Women's High Jump
Nicole Shepherd - 3rd - 1.75m (5-8.75)
Renske Drenten - 8th - 1.60m (5-3)
Lucie Frazier - 12th - 1.60m (5-3)
Running Events
Women's Mile
Ana Markovina - 9th - 4.56.66
Annika Buser - 20th - 5:13.29
Jada Williams - 23rd - 5:17.22
Men's Mile
Aiden Arnold - 3rd - 4:09.68
Christian Ruocco - 5th - 4;12.16
Andrew Mahorner - 6th - 4:12.28
Ryan Douihech - 7th - 4:13.97
William Montanye - 10th - 4:17.90
Ben Tary - 11th - 4:18.40
Joshua Gammage - 12th - 4:19.13
Men's 60mH Prelims
Rey Hernandez - 6th (Q) - 8.01
Troy Williams - 11th - 8.78
Women's 60mH Prelims
Camryn Batt - 26th - 9.33
Serenity Miller - 32nd - 9.73
Women's 60m Prelims
Ivory Edgecomb - 29th - 7.85
Camryn Batt - 37th - 8.15
Mackenzie Carney - 39th - 8.46
Serenity Miller - 40th - 8.54
Men's 60m Prelims
Cole Dauper - 10th - 7.00
William Owens - 11th - 7.03
Jonathan Bailey - 14th - 7.06
Women's 400m
Gabby Johnson - 9th - 57.59
Melissa Epting - 12th - 58.31
Navia Casa - 16th - 59.59
Men's 400m
Avaunt Ortiz - 3rd - 47.93*
Troy Williams - 9th - 49.60
Donovan Ferguson - 10th - 49.97
Men's 60mH Final
Rey Hernandez - 6th - 7.89*
Women's 800m
Ella Chandler - 1st - 2:11.19
Katerina Natsiopoulou - 2nd - 2:12.26
Men's 800m
Rashad Hemissi - 3rd - 1:53.55
Mason Spearin - 4th - 1:55.32
Shamar Henry - 6th - 1:55.73
Women's 200m
Gabby Johnson - 24th - 25.63
Ivory Edgecomb - 26th - 25.73
Melissa Epting - 36th - 26.54
Camryn Batt - 38th - 26.70
Navia Casa - 40th - 26.83
Men's 200m
Rey Hernandez - 1st - 21.20*
Avaunt Ortiz - 9th - 22.02
William Owens - 10th - 22.16
Cole Dauper - 12th - 22.53
Jonathan Bailey - 15th - 22.69
Women's 3000m
Lilly Schuster - 5th - 10:04.87
Laci Watford - 7th - 10:10.50
Madeline Castillo - 8th - 10:12.37
Cohen Kooker - 9th - 10:16.29
Brooke Yates - 11th - 10:26.15
Men's 3000m
Parker Banzhaf - 3rd - 8:21.40
Colton Lawson - 10th - 8:30.83
Cole Perry - 13th - 8:37.62
Jayden Santos-Gonzalez - 15th - 8:42.01
Players Mentioned
Middle Distance
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Sprints / Hurdles
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Distance
/ Women's Track
Hurdles
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Hurdles / Middle Distance
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Distance
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Middle Distance
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Sprints
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Middle Distance
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Middle Distance
/ Men's Track
Middle Distance
/ Men's Track
Sprints / Hurdles
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Sprints
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/ Women's Track
Distance
/ Men's Track
Jumps
/ Men's Track
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Middle Distance
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Throws / Multis
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Distance
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Hurdles / Middle Distance
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/ Men's Track
Sprints
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/ Men's Track
Distance
/ Men's Track
Distance
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Distance
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/ Women's Track
Middle Distance
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Jumps
/ Men's Track
Middle Distance
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Jumps
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Distance
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Distance
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Distance
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