The Mississippi Valley State University track and field teams placed sixth in their respective divisions at the Strawberry Relays held in Hammond, Louisiana, at the Southeastern Louisiana Track Complex. Both squads scored 38 points, marking solid performances in their first scored outdoor events of the season.
On the men’s side, Bernardo McGraw made history as the first Delta Devil to win an event in 2026, taking first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:56.22. Timothy Rotich finished second in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:09.08, while John Eubanks earned third in the 200-meter dash in 22.58 seconds. The team also scored points in jumping events, with Allen Jenkins logging a 6.78-meter long jump and Jusden Culpepper contributing a 13.57-meter triple jump. The 4×100-meter relay team finished fourth in 43.55 seconds.
In the women’s competition, Jamison Ware nearly swept the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing second with a time of 14:35.92. Nyla Snead finished third in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.29 seconds. Poetrie Dace was the only field athlete to reach the top three, placing third in the high jump at 1.55 meters. Aniyah Thomas competed in three events, including the hammer throw (sixth, 33.82 meters), shot put (eighth, 10.83 meters), and discus (eighth, 32.86 meters). Other notable performances included the 4×100-meter relay (fourth, 49.21 seconds), Janet Cheboi in the 1500 meters (eighth, 5:30.82), and Senyce Rene in the 100 meters (eighth, 12.79 seconds).
The teams will continue their season at the Twilight Invitational on Friday at Mississippi College. Fans can follow the Delta Devils’ cross country and track and field programs on Twitter/X (@ValleyStateTFXC), Instagram (@ValleyStateTFXC), Facebook (Valley State Athletics), and Twitter/X (@MVSUDevilSports).
