Governors State University track and field made back-to-back appearances on the outdoor circuit this April, competing first at the 2025 Chicagoland Championships (April 3–5) and then at the ONU Tiger Open (April 12). With representation across sprints, throws, jumps, and distance events, the Jaguars have continued to build presence, sharpen their execution, and turn in notable improvements from one meet to the next.
Chicagoland Championships: GSU makes its presence known
The Chicagoland Championships gave the Jaguars a chance to set the tone for the outdoor season, and they didn’t waste it.
In the men’s field events, Clark Fremouw led the way with a standout seed in discus (50.22m), placing him in the top flight alongside throwers from DePaul and St. Xavier. Austin Martin entered both the long jump and triple jump, showcasing his all-around athleticism, while Sean O’Brien competed in pole vault with an entry height of 2.52m.
On the women’s side, Oluwatosin King was a key presence in the shot put and discus, entering with a strong mark of 9.49m in shot. Meanwhile, Courban Session stepped into the women’s pole vault, signaling GSU’s growing participation in technical events.
In the sprints, Alyssa Dillinger and Jada Cunningham took on the women’s 100m prelims, while Braydon Witthoft competed in the men’s 110m hurdles. Each gained valuable race experience in stacked heats filled with athletes posting sub-13 and sub-11 marks.
Chicagoland laid a solid foundation, and then GSU followed up with a surge in performance.
Tiger Open: GovState athletes improve across events
The ONU Tiger Open on April 12 was a breakthrough in several ways. Not only did Jaguars expand their event participation, but many athletes notched personal or season bests compared to their Chicagoland performances.
Trinity Bonham was one of the biggest movers, cutting her time in the 400 meters to a season-best 1:04.25, a marked improvement over her earlier efforts. She also competed in the 200 meters and maintained solid form across both events.
In the sprints, Jada Cunningham and Alyssa Dillinger showed evident progress. After gaining experience at Chicagoland, Cunningham clocked 13.91 in the 100m and 28.75 in the 200m, showing sharper race execution. Dillinger, who also ran both events, dropped a 14.32 in the 100m and 28.86 in the 200m, looking more comfortable and controlled through each round.
In the mid-distance races, Krysta Stanko and Sydney Bonham turned in some of GSU’s strongest showings. Stanko ran 2:22.19 in the 800m and 4:50.38 in the 1500m, while Bonham posted 2:25.55 and 5:01.77 in those same events. Both marks reflect notable improvements over previous meets, positioning the duo as contenders for late-season highlights.
The distance squad also came alive, led by Camila Mendez, who clocked 20:09.06 in the 5000 meters. She was followed by Allison Lauri and Emilia Kadiyala, who helped establish GovState’s depth in long-distance competition.
In field events, Clark Fremouw remained reliable in discus, while Oluwatosin King improved in the discus (30.00m) after steady training since Chicagoland. Courban Session also saw growth in vault technique, continuing to build event consistency.
Up Next: Elmhurst Twilight Invitational
The Jaguars will look to carry this momentum into their next appearance at the Elmhurst Twilight Invitational on Friday, April 25, at 5 p.m. With steady progression across two meets and multiple personal bests in the books, Governors State is trending upward heading into the final stretch of the outdoor season.