SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Bethany College men's track and field team opened the indoor portion of the 2025-26 season at the Wittenberg Tiger Collegiate Opener hosted by Wittenberg (Ohio) University at the Steemer Center.

Bethany got the season underway as junior Caliyph McClinton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Neighborhood Academy) led the way for the Bison after breaking his own program record in the 60-meter dash. After running a time of 6.83 seconds in the 60-meter dash last season, McClinton picks up right where he left off by running a 6.73 which currently places him second in the nation and sets him up for another shot at the DIII Indoor National Championships.

McClinton also took home the gold in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.42 which also ranks second nationally and breaks his event record of 22.1 from last season. 

Freshman Jason Ellman (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) had a strong collegiate debut after finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.11 and was fifth in the 60-meter dash finals with a time of 6.91. He now ranks 13th nationally in the 200-meter and 12th in the 60-meter.

Freshman Juan Colon (Lancaster, Pa./McCaskey) also competed in his first meet as a Bison where he competed in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.70. He also finished with a time of 22.93 in the 200-meter dash.

Junior Daryes'e Fleming (Joppa, Md./Joppatowne) ran in the 200-meter dash where he ran a 23.26 and in the 400-meter dash placing just behind Colon with a time of 51.71.

Also competing for the Green and White were sophomore Shavel Lesley (Whitehall, Ohio/Whitehall-Yearling) and freshman Ja'Vonni O'hara (Waycross, Ga./Ware County) who each ran in the 60-meter dash preliminaries and finished with times of 23.45 and 24.04 in the 200-meter dash, respectively. Junior Dave Rene (Boynton Beach, Fla./Lakewood) also ran in the 200-meter dash where he timed a 24.11 and came in fifth in the long jump with a mark of 6.59 meters.

In the field events, the Bison were led by senior Koda Moore (Proctor, W.Va./John Marshall) after throwing a mark of 13.74 meters in the weight throw to place seventh and throwing a 12.47 in the shot put.

Junior Jalen Britton (Fort Lee, Va./Prince George) also competed in the weight throw and shot put where he threw a 11.35 and a 10.42 , respectively. 

Junior Cyrus Brown (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville) wrapped up the Bison performers with a 10.19 in the shot put and a 8.54 in the weight throw.

The Bison are back in action on Friday, January 16 as they travel to Youngstown, Ohio to compete at the YSU College Invitational at 12 p.m. at the Watson and Tressel Training Site.