Cyclones Win Three Titles in Day One

Cyclones Win Three Titles in Day One

01.30.2026 | Track and Field

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Cyclones won three event titles and put up five top-10 ranked Iowa State performances in day one of the DeLoss Dodds Invite.

Betty Kipkore took down the facility and meet record with a 3,000m time of 8:59.90, becoming just the second woman in ISU history to break nine minutes. The time stands second to Lisa Koll's 2010 record of 8:56.09. Mercyline Kirwa came in second with 9:01.10, now the fourth-fastest ISU performance.

Then came the men, where Rodgers Kiplimo grabbed the victory in a personal record time of 7:51.99, the new No. 9-ranked performance in program history. Meshack Kimutai took second in 7:54.30.

Sydney Willits competed among a field of pros and the nation's best in the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze Long Jump, leaping to fourth place with 21-0 1/2 (6.41m). Willits hit the mark in the fourth round.

In the weight throw, Garret Wagner led the Cyclones with a fourth-place finish of 68-11 1/4 (21.01m), a season best. Zach Verzani took sixth with a PR of 67-4 (20.52m), moving up a spot to No. 6 in Iowa State history. Five Cyclones made the final.

Multi-eventers began the day's action competing in their first multi of the 2026 season. Maia Denge-Hagen went out to a pentathlon score of 3,793, now the fifth-highest score in ISU history. Denge-Hagen hit PRs in three of five events: 60m hurdles, shot put and long jump. The sophomore also came just off her 800m PR.

After day one of the heptathlon, Cooper Spurgeon stands in 13th overall with 2,702 and Tristan Rheingans in 16th with 2,594 through four events. Rheingans had a personal record in the shot put and indoor PR in the high jump, while Spurgeon took second in the shot put.

Makayla Clark ran her first 800m of the year, taking the victory in 2:07.16. Cyclone newcomer Emma Vorpagel again lowered her indoor best to 2:08.78 for second.

In the long jump invite, Amari Laing took seventh with a season-best 19-3 1/2 (5.88m) for the women. On the men's side, Jon Rice had an indoor-best 21-8 3/4 (6.62m) for 11th and Justin Gleason placed 12th with 21-8 3/4 (6.62m).

The DeLoss Dodds Invite continues through tomorrow, while Devan Kipyego, Emanuel Galdino and Robin Kwemoi Bera compete at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston.

Iowa State Results

Pentathlon 60m Hurdles (W): 1. Ally Stephenson, Oklahoma – 8.29; 10. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 8.76 (PR); 11. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 8.84 (PR)

Heptathlon 60m (M): 1. Mattix Dacunha, Kansas State – 6.87; 11. Cooper Spurgeon, Iowa State – 7.24; 16. Tristan Rheingans, Iowa State – 7.40

Heptathlon Long Jump (M): 1. Tayton Klein, Kansas – 24-9 (7.54m); 13. Cooper Spurgeon, Iowa State – 21-2 (6.45m); 14. Tristan Rheingans, Iowa State – 21-0 3/4 (6.42m)

Pentathlon High Jump (W): 1. Zoey Brinker, Kansas State – 5-11 1/4 (1.81m); 6. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 5-5 1/4 (1.66m)

Heptathlon Shot Put (M): 1. Dorian Charles, Kansas State – 43-7 3/4 (13.30m); 2. Cooper Spurgeon, Iowa State – 42-11 3/4 (13.10m); 11. Tristan Rheingans, Iowa State – 39-1 (11.91m, PR)

Heptathlon High Jump (M): 1. John Swabik, Kansas – 6-8 (2.03m); 15. Tristan Rheingans, Iowa State – 5-8 (1.73m); 16. Cooper Spurgeon, Iowa State – 5-7 (1.70m)

Pentathlon Shot Put (W): 1. Leena Pfister, Purdue – 43-8 1/2 (13.32m); 2. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 43-1 3/4 (13.15m); 16. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 31-2 3/4 (9.52m, PR)

Pentathlon Long Jump (W): 1. Alice Lindgren, Kansas – 19-9 1/2 (6.03m); 5. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 19-2 3/4 (5.86m, PR); 9. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 18-11 1/4 (5.77m)

Pentathlon 800m (W): 1. Vanessa Mercera, Kansas State – 2:09.93; 11. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 2:27.75

Pentathlon Overall: 1. Vanessa Mercera, Kansas State – 4,429; 9. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 3,793 (PR, No. 5 ISU)

Weight Throw (W): 1. Monique Hardy, Kansas State – 67-8 3/4 (20.64m); 4. Candra King, Iowa State – 63-6 (19.35m); 6. Kamari Brown, Iowa State – 58-9 1/2 (17.92m, PR)

800m (W): 1. Makayla Clark, Iowa State – 2:07.16; 2. Emma Vorpagel, Iowa State – 2:08.78; 7. Kinsey Christianson, Iowa State – 2:10.56

800m (M): 1. Oskars Bambals, Kansas State – 1:48.90; 10. Jacoby Harmon, Iowa State – 1:51.48; 16. Tommy Tyynismaa, Iowa State – 1:53.45

Long Jump Invite (W): 1. Rohanna Sudlow, unattached – 21-4 1/4 (6.51m); 7. Amari Laing, Iowa State – 19-3 1/2 (5.88m)

Long Jump Invite (M): 1. Croix Dacunha, Kansas State – 25-8 1/4 (7.83m); 11. Jon Rice, Iowa State – 21-8 3/4 (6.62m); 12. Justin Gleason, Iowa State – 21-8 3/4 (6.62m)

High Jump (M): 1. Tyson Ritz, Oklahoma – 7-3 1/4 (2.22m); 5. Tyson Seeser, Iowa State – 6-10 3/4 (2.10m)

200m (W): 1. Royaltee Brown, Baylor – 24.40; 6. Karynne David, Iowa State – 24.98; 7. Brooklyn Sandvig, Iowa State – 25.11; 10. Cameron Moon, Iowa State – 25.27

200m (M): 1. Jett Rose, Air Force – 21.29; 6. Mikey McClain, Iowa State – 21.62; 15. Ty Koehnk, Iowa State – 22.14

Weight Throw (W): 1. Gary Moore, Kansas State – 75-6 (23.01m); 4. Garret Wagner, Iowa State – 68-11 1/4 (21.01m); 6. Zach Verzani, Iowa State – 67-4 (20.52m, PR, No. 6 ISU); 7. Daniel Norris, Iowa State – 61-6 3/4 (18.76m); 8. Brandon Fischer, Iowa State – 61-1 1/4 (18.62m); 9. Nathan Rotherham, Iowa State – 60-7 3/4 (18.48m); 10. Lucas Morrison, Iowa State – 57-11 (17.65m); 12. Michael Etuma, Iowa State – 57-9 3/4 (17.62m)

3,000m (W): 1. Betty Kipkore, Iowa State – 8:59.90 (No. 2 ISU); 2. Mercyline Kirwa, Iowa State – 9:01.10 (No. 4 ISU); 3. Maelle Porcher, Iowa State – 9:08.66; 9. Maya Ledesma, Iowa State – 9:46.38; 11. Olivia Verde, Iowa State – 9:58.08

3,000m (M): 1. Rodgers Kiplimo, Iowa State – 7:51.99; 2. Meshack Kimutai, Iowa State – 7:54.30; 4. Joash Ruto, Iowa State – 7:58.72

World Athletics Bronze Long Jump (W): 1. Tyra Gittens-Spotsville, Trinidad and Tobago – 22-5 (6.83m); 4. Sydney Willits, Iowa State – 21-0 1/2 (6.41m)