Track and Field Concludes Competition at Penn State National Open

Track and Field Concludes Competition at Penn State National Open

January 31, 2026 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Army West Point track and field programs spent Friday and Saturday competing at the Penn State National Open, where it competed against some of the best competitors in the country and the world.

The Black Knights had seven podium finishes, while Mia Royall took home the lone victory in the women's 300m. In addition, multiple cadet-athletes posted performances that rank inside the top 10 in program history.

Mikayla Cheney set a new program record in the 1000m with a time of 2:47.11, which is two seconds faster than the previous best that she set last week.

Track Events
Skye Chambers had an impressive showing in the women's 800m, finishing sixth with a time of 2:07.64. It is the second fastest time in program history. Alma Lazo Cazares (2:09.4), Cheney (2:09.76) and Lauren Gallagher (2:09.92) took home the last three spots in the top ten of the 800m. All four of those athletes sit in the top ten best times in the program's history.

On the men's side, Kasen Jeitz ran a personal best 1:48.43 in the 800m. It's also the second fastest time in Army history. He finished in 11^th.

In the women's 600m on Saturday, Faith Kibbe finished in third place with an impressive time of 1:32.18. Freshman Sabrina Sardar finished right behind in fourth with a time of 1:32.54.

Grace Coppel recorded a third place finish in the 1000m with a time of 2:52.77. Chloe Esponda came in sixth at 2:53.94.

Field Events
Robby Manse shined in the men's weight throw, finishing third with a mark of 20.58m. The distance is the third best in program history. Calvin Bowens finished ninth with a distance of 17.61m.

In the women's weight throw, Kiana Emerson was ninth with a distance of 17.44m.

Jordan Hecht finished third in the women's shot put, reaching 15.67m on her fifth throw. Sara Sahadi finished ninth at 14.11m. On the men's side, Matthew Palchak was seventh at 17.71m.

Up Next
Army gears up for its showdown against Navy next week in Annapolis. The dual is part of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA.

Quotable – Director of Track and Field Mike Smith
"We had a very good weekend. Everything we do in competition is designed to prepare us to perform at our best at the Star Meet in early February and the Patriot League Championships in late February. Our training volumes and intensities are carefully planned to align with our performance objectives at those championship meets.

The Penn State National Open this weekend was the most competitive meet on our schedule to date. Some of the performances achieved rank among the best in the world and certainly among the best in the NCAA. Our goal is to expose our team to the highest level of competition possible each week so that we are prepared for the pressure and challenge of the Star Meet and the Patriot League Championships. This weekend provided exactly that challenge, and our team did an excellent job managing it and performing at a high level.

We recorded numerous updates to the Army All-Time Top 10 list—too many to enumerate here. Several standout performances came in the throws and on the oval.

Robby Manse '26 continued his climb up the all-time list in the men's weight throw. Entering the sixth and final round, Robby had a modest throw in the mid-19-meter range and was sitting fourth. Coach Woodbury decided to take a calculated risk and asked Robby to throw four turns on his final attempt. Robby typically throws with three turns, and executing four turns with a 35-lb weight requires a high level of technical skill and carries significant risk. While Robby has done this in practice, he had never attempted it in competition. The gamble paid off. His final throw of 20.58 meters vaulted him into third place, and he now ranks third all-time at the Academy.

Kasen Jeitz '26 ran the best 800-meter race of his life, posting a time of 1:48.43, which ranks second in Army history and represents a small improvement over last weekend. His execution continues to improve as he gains a better understanding of how to manage his effort and finish strongly. His fitness is at an all-time high, and I expect continued progress.

Skye Chambers '27 moved herself to second all-time in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:07.64. The pace was fast from the start, and Skye went right with it. She continues to gain confidence with each race and has shown the ability to both control races from the front and close powerfully at the finish.

Alma Lazo Cazares '28, a fixture in our top five during cross country season, continues to translate that success to the track. Over the past two days, she ran two of the best races of her life. Her 800 meters yesterday moved her to fifth all-time at the Academy, and her 1000 meters today (2:49.17) ranks second all-time. Though new to indoor racing, Alma has quickly established herself as one of our most consistent competitors and is almost always near the front when it matters most.

The most outstanding performance of the weekend came from Mikayla Cheney '27. Mikayla is no stranger to the record books, and her accomplishments continue to redefine the standards of our program. Last weekend, she became the most accomplished record holder in Academy history by setting the school record in the 1000 meters (2:49.61), her sixth program record. This weekend, she bettered that mark by more than two seconds, running 2:47.11. In doing so, she became the best 1000-meter runner in the history of the Army program and the Service Academies. She now owns or is a member of three Service Academy records: indoor 1000 meters, indoor 4x800 relay, and outdoor 4x800 relay.

Overall, this weekend was an excellent tune-up for the Star Meet next weekend. We are prepared, ready, and looking forward to the challenge ahead."