School Records Highlight Pioneers’ Opening Day at Tryon Winter Classic

MILL SPRING, N.C. Three school records highlighted the opening day of the Tryon Winter Classic and Combined Events as the Spartanburg Methodist College track and field teams competed on Friday.

Freshman Dante Hudnall became the first Pioneer to rewrite the record book, posting a time of 2:42.61 in the 1000-meter dash. His performance broke the previous school record by 1.65 seconds and qualified him for the AAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Feb. 19–20 in Winston-Salem. Sophomore Caleb Williams also earned a championship qualification in the event, setting a new personal record with a time of 2:43.56.

Another record-setting performance came from freshman Khalil Johnson in the 600-meter dash. Johnson shattered the existing school mark by 7.27 seconds, crossing the finish line in 1:31.22.

Later in the evening, junior Ryan Hunter recorded the third-fastest 5,000-meter time in program history, finishing in 16:26.08.

On the women's side, junior Polly Addington set a school record in the 1,000-meter dash with a time of 3:39.12 to lead the Spartans' efforts on the track.

The two-day meet concludes Saturday, with competition resuming at 10 a.m. with the women's weight throw and men's 60-meter hurdles.