TicketsWINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Graduate students Tyler Wirth (1,500m) and Maddie Walker (5,000m) broke school records as the University of Cincinnati men's and women's track and field distance runners rewrote the record book on Friday at the Wake Forest Invitational.
Wirth proved yet again why he is one of the best distance runners ever to don a Bearcat jersey as he broke his own 1,500m school record with a time of 3.39.58 under the lights on Friday. He bested his previous school record (3:41.24), which he set last year, by more than two seconds and finished fifth overall in the men's 1,500m invite section.
The Hawley, Pa., native currently ranks inside the top 20 in the NCAA East Region, which would qualify him for the NCAA East First Rounds in the event. Wirth has had a remarkable year, not only did he become the sixth Bearcat to compete in the men's NCAA Cross Country Championships, but he also broke the school mile record and was part of the school record-setting DMR team during the indoor track and field season.
Not to be outdone, Walker saved the best for last as she took down the program's 5,000m record with a time of 16:18.61. She broke former Bearcat Ellie Leather's previous school record of 16:23.43 (2022) by more than five seconds.
The Batavia, Ohio native now holds three program records as she broke the indoor 5,000m school record last season and the outdoor 10,000m school record in 2022.
Including the two school records, Bearcats recorded 10 UC all-time top-10 times during the one-day meet, which is the most in a single day the program had registered this outdoor season. Six of the 10 were run by underclassmen.
Freshman Gianni Allwein joined in on record-breaking action as he broke former Bearcat Michael Rutherford's fifteen-year-old 800m freshman record (2009) by running a 1:49.36 in the men's 800m. His record time is also the third-fastest 800m in program history.
Also clocking an all-time top-three program time was sophomore Seth Elking, who ran the third-fastest 1,500m in school history with a time of 3:44.59. Elking placed sixth overall in the event.
Sophomore Claire Curtsinger moved up from fifth to fourth all-time in school history after running a personal best 16:52.70 in the women's 5,000m. She bested her previous personal best by more than 11 seconds as she placed third overall in the event.
Running in her first collegiate 3,000m steeplechase race, freshman Amber Carter ran right into the record book as she recorded a time of 11:05.84, the fifth best time in program history.
The freshman duo of Isaac Schachleiter and Wyatt Houchens both placed inside the top five of the men's 5,000m race. Schachleiter finished third overall with a time of 14:17.62, the seventh fastest time in school history, while Houchens finished fifth with a time of 14:19.71, the eighth fastest time in program history.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 times was graduate student Jed Helker, who ran the seventh-fastest 1,500m in school history with a time of 3:46.63, and senior Jack Barchet, who clocked the 10th-fastest 800m in program history with a time of 1:50.37.
// UP NEXT
While the distance squad was in North Carolina, the rest of the track and field program headed to Waco, Texas to compete in the Michael Johnson Invitational. Day two of the invitational will begin at noon ET tomorrow. More information about the meet can be found here.
Wirth proved yet again why he is one of the best distance runners ever to don a Bearcat jersey as he broke his own 1,500m school record with a time of 3.39.58 under the lights on Friday. He bested his previous school record (3:41.24), which he set last year, by more than two seconds and finished fifth overall in the men's 1,500m invite section.
The Hawley, Pa., native currently ranks inside the top 20 in the NCAA East Region, which would qualify him for the NCAA East First Rounds in the event. Wirth has had a remarkable year, not only did he become the sixth Bearcat to compete in the men's NCAA Cross Country Championships, but he also broke the school mile record and was part of the school record-setting DMR team during the indoor track and field season.
Not to be outdone, Walker saved the best for last as she took down the program's 5,000m record with a time of 16:18.61. She broke former Bearcat Ellie Leather's previous school record of 16:23.43 (2022) by more than five seconds.
The Batavia, Ohio native now holds three program records as she broke the indoor 5,000m school record last season and the outdoor 10,000m school record in 2022.
Including the two school records, Bearcats recorded 10 UC all-time top-10 times during the one-day meet, which is the most in a single day the program had registered this outdoor season. Six of the 10 were run by underclassmen.
Freshman Gianni Allwein joined in on record-breaking action as he broke former Bearcat Michael Rutherford's fifteen-year-old 800m freshman record (2009) by running a 1:49.36 in the men's 800m. His record time is also the third-fastest 800m in program history.
Also clocking an all-time top-three program time was sophomore Seth Elking, who ran the third-fastest 1,500m in school history with a time of 3:44.59. Elking placed sixth overall in the event.
Sophomore Claire Curtsinger moved up from fifth to fourth all-time in school history after running a personal best 16:52.70 in the women's 5,000m. She bested her previous personal best by more than 11 seconds as she placed third overall in the event.
Running in her first collegiate 3,000m steeplechase race, freshman Amber Carter ran right into the record book as she recorded a time of 11:05.84, the fifth best time in program history.
The freshman duo of Isaac Schachleiter and Wyatt Houchens both placed inside the top five of the men's 5,000m race. Schachleiter finished third overall with a time of 14:17.62, the seventh fastest time in school history, while Houchens finished fifth with a time of 14:19.71, the eighth fastest time in program history.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 times was graduate student Jed Helker, who ran the seventh-fastest 1,500m in school history with a time of 3:46.63, and senior Jack Barchet, who clocked the 10th-fastest 800m in program history with a time of 1:50.37.
// UP NEXT
While the distance squad was in North Carolina, the rest of the track and field program headed to Waco, Texas to compete in the Michael Johnson Invitational. Day two of the invitational will begin at noon ET tomorrow. More information about the meet can be found here.