The Goshen College indoor track and field team competed in the Mastodon Invitational at Purdue Fort Wayne last Saturday, and left with three new school records in just the second meet of the season. 

The first record breaker was Jaylah Leggett, a junior education non-certification major. Leggett ran the women’s 60-meter dash in 7.83 seconds, breaking her own record from last year by 0.08 seconds.

Next was Danial “Breezy” Murphy, a junior information technology major, who beat the men’s 60-meter dash record, previously held by his teammate Sam Sofolahan, by 0.08 seconds, setting a time of 6.81 seconds. With that run, Murphy is just one hundredth of a second off the B qualifying standard for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Indoor National Championships.

Liam Shaw, a sophomore journalism major, broke the third record with his second event of the day, the shot put. Shaw threw 14.86 meters, besting Goshen’s previous shot put record, which was set in 2000. 

“I didn’t expect to get a record after the week I had,” said Shaw. He had spent most of it feeling unwell, and only had “two practices and one lift … I think I did 40% of the reps,” Shaw said. However, through perseverance and practice, he made it work. 

Part of the reason Shaw was able to achieve this is because of the work of Goshen’s new throwing coach, Purdue-graduate Tyler Miller. “He wasn’t at the meet, but he was texting updates into our group chat … he reminded me, this is what I need to do. And it led to this result,” Shaw said.

Shaw isn’t the only one with a great coach leading the way to the records. Leggett credits Mandi Lloyd, who has been the women’s sprinting coach for three years, and her husband Bobby Lloyd, who is the jumping coach, for helping her get where she is. “It’s nice to see that my coach can be recognized for her hard work,” she said. “When you practice something so much, it feels like nothing because you already had it,” Leggett said, quoting Bobby Lloyd.

Murphy thanked his coach and teammates, but also someone closer to home. “I had a lot of talks with my mom,” he said. “What really motivated me that day was that she texted me. She said, ‘Son, go break that school record. You have it in you.’” 

Leggett, Murphy and Shaw agree that all three athletes are well-deserving of the records they hold. “I see Leggett and Murphy putting in the work day in, and day out,” Shaw said.

“Breezy has a mindset like he is going to be the best, no matter what,” Shaw continued. Murphy is helped in this thought process by his teammate Sofolahan. The two of them trade the record back and forth, with no end in sight. “[Murphy] has always been one of those ones who was striving to show his best work, even if he doesn’t get the record,” Leggett said. “He went out there, he just did his own thing.”

Leggett, however, just has her own records to compete with. “She held the record previously,” Shaw said. Murphy added on, saying, “She improves every single year. I’m telling her, ‘Push harder at practice, and by the time outdoor season comes, you’ll be ready.’” 

Unlike the runners, Shaw’s only competition for the record came in 2000, when Clint Bontrager threw 14.71 meters, which set GC’s combined indoor and outdoor record. Shaw’s throw dethroned Bontrager by six inches, earning his place in the record books. 

“We don’t get to see the throwers much, but he’s put in a ton of work,” Murphy said. 

“I don’t really get to see him throw as much … but when I do, his training really shows,” Leggett said. 

Breaking records, especially this early in the season, does wonders for their teammates. “It’s motivating to the team. It shows them anything is possible,” Murphy said. 

“It’s a very big deal for us,” Leggett said.

The future is looking bright for the indoor track and field team. Murphy is fractions of a second from the next qualifying rank in the championships, Leggett is well on her way there and Shaw has broken the top 50 in NAIA rankings, coming in at 42nd. 

“My coach has been talking to me, saying she always wanted to go to Florida with the team,” Murphy said. “My biggest goal right now is to get her to Florida, and by the time the outdoor season comes, I do want to get my relay team there.”

“I’m really excited to see how the rest of the season is going to look, especially with records being broken so early in the season,” Leggett said.