Warner University participated in a Sun Conference Showdown on February 14-15, 2025, at the Alachua County Sports and Event Center in Gainesville, Florida. During this meet their were a multitude of staggering performances from the royals: Two Sun Conference Champions, 4 Podium Steppers and 9 Personal Records. That alone sounds like the royals had a good day at the Sun Conference Track and field meet. From the beginning of the season they said they were gonna shake things up this year and they did not disappoint leaving this Indoor Sun Conference Track meet. 

Leaving this track meet with the performances the royals had Head Coach Taiwo Ariyo couldn't have been happier. When entering the facility Friday the 14th I asked Coach T, " How prepared do you think the team will fair in the atmosphere of the whole Sun Conference and even in front of another conference as well, some of them have never competed in a setting like this. He replied " This is no different than any other meet to them. Yes, the stakes are high given medals and the ending of the indoor season is with the conclusion of this meet. But to say that they won't be prepared is a false assumption, I can sense from practice that this is the meet they were all hungry for. We royals are showing up like the calm breeze before the hurricane". 


Conference Champions: 

Ryan Dube broke his personal record in long jump, jumping a 7.26m while even breaking the indoor record here at Warner University which was previously 7.01m. He had pose competing in this conference showdown,as he made it to finals he had that calm but fierce look on his face. From that look on his face we just knew, he was leaving with nothing less than gold. His first jump in the finals left nothing to be said about whose the best in the conference this year. Jumping his personal record and breaking the record with a bolstering 7.26m leaving his place at number one secured and untouched making him the Sun Conference long Jump Champion.

Jahhi Clarke-Broomfield came into this meet walking with swagger making it known what she come to do. She had this aura when warming up like you could just tell, she's about to do something big. Normally she is this energetic person always talking to people and just always being open. Not today, she was like a whole different person when it came to her locking in and visualizing what she was about to do. Even though she made headlines before in the 200 and even running another PR at this meet with a time of 25.4 missing the podium by one spot, she was more focused on her 60m dash as it was her favorite event. In prelims she ran a 7.66 coming second in her heat. Making it to the finals she knew she needed to lock in a little more to run how she know she can. That gun shot and she floated down that track looking so smooth and relaxed. Running a new pr and time of 7.55 also placing her second in school history. When her name popped up on the board and it was at the top she started to run and jump around the track with joy and excitement as she looked over to her mom in attendance like " mom we got us one !" 

Podium steppers: 

Anaya Findlay, Zinzile Gumpo, Omar Vazquez,and Kaleb Roth combined their efforts on a mixed 4x400 team successfully reaching for the podium placing 3rd with a time of 3:56.29.

Owen Tannehill placed third in shot put competition throwing 13.78 which isn't a PR but it placed him on the podium as a freshman. If he would have PR'd he would have placed second. With this throw he placed himself second in school history for indoor shut put. 

Personal Records : 

Womens :
Inna Vannula not only PR'd once but three different times in the midst of one competition, getting better and better with each throw in the shot put. Starting the meet with a mark of 8.54 and ending the meet with full meter PR, throwing 9.68m. 

Zinzile Gumpo ran her PR and season best in the 60m Hurdles with a time of 9.50. 

Mens: 
Dylann Grant PR'd running his 200m dash in a new time of 23.7. 

Jamari Hopkins ran a new PR and season best with a new time of 22.8.

Anton Jones ran a new PR in the 800 with a time of 1:58, coming 2 seconds shy from breaking the schools 800 indoor record. 

Cooper Ives placed 5th in the conference Heptathlon having a large PR in pole vault. Coming into the meet standing at 2.30 and leaving with a staggering 2.65.     

Alex Teal threw a large PR of 11.96 placing 8th in the Sun Conference weight throw competition.