Tiriah Kelley’s Record Run Headlines Baylor’s Strong Start at Corky Classic
LUBBOCK, Texas - Baylor track and field opened its 2026 indoor season with a bang at the Corky Classic, and it didn’t take long for fireworks to go off. Leading the charge? Senior sprinter Tiriah Kelley, who wasted no time reminding everyone why she’s one of the fastest women in collegiate track.
Running in the very first heat of the women’s 200 meters, Kelley lit up the track with a jaw-dropping 22.56-second performance - a time that not only shattered her own school record but also set a new meet mark and currently stands as the fastest in the world this year. And she did it without anyone pushing her.
“She told me earlier this week she wanted to start this season the way she finished last year,” said Baylor head coach Michael Ford. “She ended 2025 running 22.70, and then comes out and opens with 22.56.
No one was really near her - she just pushed herself the whole way. It was a great race.”
Great might be an understatement. Kelley won the event by nearly a full second, with Texas A&M’s Aysha Shaheed finishing a distant second in 23.50.
Baylor also got promising performances from its younger sprinters. Freshmen Alyssa Jones (23.87) and Jada Edwards (24.13), along with sophomore Hannah Lowe (24.05), each won their respective heats and cracked the top 15 out of more than 70 athletes.
But Kelley wasn’t the only Bear making headlines.
In the high jump, freshman Landon Freeman made a memorable collegiate debut by clearing 2.15 meters (7 feet, ½ inch) on his second attempt. That mark makes him the first Baylor athlete to clear the 7-foot barrier since Marcus Swiat accomplished it twice back in 2000. Freeman’s jump also surpassed his personal best of 7-0 from last year’s UIL state meet.
“He’s got a lot of confidence,” Ford said. “He trusts Coach Stacey Smith, and even on his final bar - I think it was 7-1¾ - he had a couple of really good attempts.
His mindset going into the meet was strong. That was awesome to watch.”
Freeman’s 7-0½ clearance earned him a fifth-place finish in a stacked field led by former Texas Tech All-American Omamuyovwi Erhire, who cleared 7-4¼.
Overall, Baylor collected a dozen top-10 finishes on Saturday, with several athletes making moves up the program’s all-time performance lists. Distance runners Amon Malakwen and Ruth Kimeli each turned in fifth-place finishes in the 1,000 meters - Malakwen clocking 2:25.54 and Kimeli posting 2:49.08 - times that now rank among the top 10 in Baylor history.
“One of the highlights for me was Ruth,” Ford said. “She’s usually a 10K, 5K runner, but she dropped down to do a little speed work.
And that time puts her in our all-time top 10. That’s a big deal.”
In the field events, Parker Brannon came through with a third-place finish in the “B” section of the men’s pole vault, clearing 16-6. On the sprint side, freshman Bailey Hashmi led Baylor’s men in the 200 meters with a 21.64, good for 24th overall.
The women’s 600-yard run saw a pair of sophomores - Serafima Lucero (1:21.55) and Sameena Mathew (1:23.27) - finish seventh and eighth, respectively. Iyanna Webb added another top-five finish for the Bears in the triple jump, landing a mark of 42-6 to take fifth.
Next up, Baylor heads to College Station for the Ted Nelson Invitational on Jan. 23-24.
The meet will feature a special tribute to legendary Baylor coach Clyde Hart, who passed away in November. Fittingly, the men’s 4x400-meter relay has been renamed the Clyde Hart 4x400 in his honor - a nod to the man who helped shape Baylor’s track legacy.
With performances like these to start the season, it’s clear this Baylor squad isn’t easing into 2026. They’re sprinting into it.