UTEP T&F’s Belik Wins Third Straight Gold Medal in the High Jump on Day Two at the CUSA OTF Championships Saturday

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (KVIA) -- UTEP track and field’s Jakub Belik made history after winning his third consecutive high jump, and Peace Ewa took silver in the women’s high jump during day two at the 2025 Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Middle Tennessee in Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium on Saturday. 

Belik became a three-time gold medalist in the men’s outdoor high jump final at 2.14 meters (7-0.25). Overall, Belik has won six career CUSA gold medals in the indoor and outdoor high jump events during his four-year career. Belik is the first men’s high jumper in CUSA history to win three straight gold medals at the championships. The senior is also the first UTEP men’s high jumper to win three straight league titles since Greg Joy captured a trio from 1975 to 1977 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Ewa tied second in the women’s high jump, posting a personal-best 1.72-meter (5-7.75) leap and seven points for the Miners.

Aleks Hristov hurled a personal-best 16.82 meters (55-2.25) in the men’s shot put final, finishing fourth and scoring five points.

Oleksandr Blonskyi placed fifth in the decathlon (5891 points), tallying four points for the Miners. The sophomore finished first in the decathlon pole vault with a height of 4.45 meters (14-7.25). Blonskyi placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.24 and finished fourth in the 1500 with a 5:14.22.

In Saturday’s preliminary action, Rejoice Sule clocked in a personal-best 23.09 and finished first overall in the women’s 200-meter dash to qualify for tomorrow’s 200 final.

Marissa Simpson finished third in the 200 with a 23.75 to advance to Sunday’s final.

Loubna Benhadja placed second in the women’s 400-meter hurdles prelims with a 59.33 to qualify for the 400H finals on Sunday.

Freshman and El Paso native Samahdi Foster qualified for the 400 hurdles final after clocking in a personal-best 1:02.74.

Stephen Carreto clocked in a 54.14 and placed eighth in the men’s 400-meter hurdles to advance to Sunday’s 400H final.

STANDINGS UPDATE

Kennesaw State leads the men’s side with 91.5 points, and Liberty is second with 89. The UTEP men’s team is sixth with 25 points.

On the women’s side, Liberty leads with 89.5 points and FIU is second with 57. Kennesaw State is third with 47.5 points, and UTEP is fourth with 29.

UP NEXT ON SUNDAY

Day three will start at 11 a.m. CT/10 MT with the women’s javelin. The track events will begin at 6 p.m. CT/5 MT with the women’s 4x100-meter relay.

Marissa Simpson will look to win her third straight gold medal in the women’s 100-meter hurdles final at 5:35 p.m. MT. Simpson will also compete in the 200-meter dash final at 6:50 p.m. MT.

Jordani Woodley and Amir Williams will take the track for the 110-meter hurdles final at 5:40 p.m. MT.

Princess Uche will run the women’s 400-meter dash final at 5:50 p.m. MT.

Joshua Hill and Julio Pacheco Estrada will race in the men’s 400 final at 5:55 p.m. MT.

Rejoice Sule will compete in a pair of final races – the first in the women’s 100-meter dash final at 6:05 p.m. MT, followed by the women’s 200 at 6:50 p.m. MT.

Loubna Benhadja and Samahdi Foster will run the women’s 400-meter hurdles final at 6:35 p.m. MT.

Stephen Carreto will compete in the men’s 400 hurdles at 6:40 p.m. MT.

The championships will conclude with the women’s 4x400-meter relay at 7:50 p.m. MT, followed by the men’s 4x400 at 8 p.m. MT.

2025 CUSA OTF CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION

Live Results | Schedule | ESPN+ Stream: (Sunday)

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