FRANKFORT, Kentucky - Every member of the travel party scored team points and the Bluefield State Track and Field team earned six top-three finishes as the team wrapped up its inaugural indoor season Saturday at the Humana Indoor HBCU Classic hosted by Kentucky State University.

Freshman Abbey Puckett placed in five events (60m dash, 200m dash, 400m dash, long jump, and triple jump) to lead the Bluefield State men's team to a fourth-place finish in the meet.

The men also finished fourth, led by freshman Trevor Nefe, who scored in four events (400m dash, high jump, long jump, and triple jump).

"This was a fantastic way to wrap up our first indoor season as a program," said Bluefield State Head Coach Brooks Rexroat. "We had a really dense schedule early in the season, and we took the last few weeks off from competition to dig into our training in preparation for this meet against an outstanding set of HBCU peers. We looked at this meet as our championship meet this season, and the athletes did not disappoint. We had a number of career-best performances, several athletes stepping into the points column for the first time in their careers, and an overall atmosphere of tangible growth. This team is coming to work every day, and it's paying off."

One of the athletes who contributed his first career points was CJ Waller, a dual-sport athlete (football) who suited up for the first time with Big Blue track and field. He tallied a second-place finish in the long jump. 

First-year throwers Zachary Pennington and Thomas Smith also had big days in the throwing circle. Pennington finished fourth in the shot put, followed by Smith in sixth. In the weight throw, Smith took the bronze with a career-best throw, and Pennington followed in fourth.

The throw's success continued on the women's side, where Caely Pickerd finished fifth in the shot put and sixth in the weight throw, while Sydney Billington finished fourth in the weight and eighth in the shot. 

"We've got a young but dedicated group in the throws," Rexroat said. "There's a lot of learning going on, and this is a group that's going to do big things for this program over the next few years. It's good to see them getting into their rhythm and getting that numerical payoff for the work that's been happening every day at practice.

On the track, Stephanie Manu joined Puckett in producing a big day in the sprints and jumps. Manu shaved nearly half a second off her lifetime best in the 200m dash to finish sixth, then followed that performance with a third-place finish in the triple jump. Puckett joined her on the triple jump podium, taking home a second-place finish. That capped off an impressive day that saw her contest—and score in—five events. 

"Our team is small this year, and we knew we had to bring in the right people to set the program's tone. Abbey and Stephanie do that every day, whether that's in competition, preparation, leadership, or the way they carry themselves on campus and in the community. Those two are really the engines of what we're building, and as we assemble more pieces around them through the 2022 recruiting class, we know that things are going to be consistently pushed in the right direction with Abbey and Stephanie leading the way."

With indoor season now in the books, the Big Blue will return to training for two weeks before kicking off the outdoor season on March 11 and 12 at the Brandi Bowen Invitational hosted by Glenville State College.

"As we close down the indoor season, we're really proud about the growth we've seen and what it means for the future. Kentucky State put on a first-class meet—probably one of the best indoor meets I've encountered in my coaching or competitive career. This meet is definitely going to be a staple in our schedule for years to come, and our staff and athletes appreciated the welcoming atmosphere and some excellent competition that pushed us to be our best."