The Kenyon men’s track and field team kicked off the 2024-25 season on Saturday. The Owls competed in the unscored Tiger Opener at Wittenberg University, recording a handful of top-10 finishes.

Josh Greville ’26 led the way for Kenyon, posting the Owls’ best finish of the day in the triple jump. His jump of 12.40 meters earned him third place. For Greville, a strong performance in the triple jump depends on walking a tightrope between slowing down mentally and maximum effort. “To be successful in the triple jump, I have to keep my body super relaxed while simultaneously giving it my all,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. “It’s difficult to find that balance, but I have a good day when I do.” J.T. Casarico ’28 recorded a fifth-place finish with his jump of 11.71 meters. Casarico also came away with 12th place in the long jump with a leap of 5.12 meters. Finally, Graham Yeager ’28’s 11.06-meter throw in the weight throw was good for 15th place.

Greville’s success also extended to the track. After posting a collegiate-best time of 8.99 seconds in the 60-meter hurdle preliminary heat, he ran the final in 9.00 seconds to secure a seventh-place finish. Greville credited Assistant Coach Taryn Sharp with helping him to hone his skills in the event. “Coach Sharp introduced me to hurdling last year and has been working with me ever since,” he said. “She’s the best — any success [I have] I definitely attribute to her.” 

Kenyon’s other top-10 finish on the track came in the 200-meter dash. Kudzaishe Mhere ’28 earned ninth place in the race, stopping the clock at 23.13 seconds. Greville finished in 13th place with a time of 23.28. Rounding out the Owls’ day on the track, Tapiwa Gono Phiri ’25 finished the 400-meter dash in 53.58 seconds, good for a 19th-place finish. Casarico took home 24th place with a time of 56.24 seconds.

Kenyon will return to the track in 2025, when the Owls will head north for the Wooster Invitational on Jan. 18. Though it is still early days for Kenyon, Greville has high expectations for the team. “Most importantly, I want the team to place well at [the conference championship],” he said. “We just have to stay healthy. We’re a really fast squad, and I know we can be really successful as long as everyone shows up healthy to the conference meet.”