NASHVILLE, Tenn.—University of Southern Indiana Men's Track & Field posted four of the Ohio Valley Conference's top six performances of the season in the 1,500 meters Friday night at the Music City Challenge.
 
Freshman Kraedyn Young broke his own freshman record and ran that fastest time in the conference when he finished fourth out of 60 competitors with a time of three minutes, 43.04 seconds. Young's mark was less than a second away from breaking USI's all-time mark of 3:42.30, which was set by USI Hall of Famer Ben Kapsoiya in 1999.
 
Joining Young with strong finishes was sophomores Layden Wagoner and Griffen Wheeler, as well as red-shirt freshman Wylee Kippenbrock.
 
Wagoner posted the third-fastest time in the OVC this season when he crossed the finish line 10th-place with a time of 3:46.86. Wheeler was 15th with a time of 3:47.26, while Kippenbrock was 16th with a time of 3:47.30.
 
In addition to Young's push up the USI record book, Wagoner, Wheeler and Kippenbrock respectively moved into fourth, fifth and sixth all-time.
 
USI saw an outdoor school record fall in the 3,000 meters as juniors Mukal Verma and Landen Swiney both broke the previous mark with their performances Friday. Verma finished seventh with a time of 8:33.05, while Swiney was ninth with a time of 8:34.55.
 
Sophomores Alan Marshall and Ben Perulfi also had strong performances that landed them inside the OVC's top five in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Marshall was eighth with a time of 9:20.27, good enough for third in the league this year, while Perulfi is now fourth in the OVC after finishing ninth Friday with a time of 9:20.86.
 
Junior Alex Nolan, senior Dominick Beine and freshman Brady Tremayne also posted high finishes in the 5,000 meters. Nolan and Beine were fourth and fifth, respectively, while Tremayne finished seventh in the 54-competitor field.
 
The Screaming Eagles are scheduled to compete at the Billy Hayes Invitational May 8 in Bloomington, Indiana. The OVC Outdoor Championships are May 14-16 in Little Rock, Arkansas.