DENTON, Texas – University of North Texas at Dallas men's track and field team battled at its family school, University of North Texas, for the annual Bill Schmidt Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Trailblazers had a pair of results reach the top 35 in the NAIA rankings, while also continuing to produce strong times en route to another strong showing with top NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA competition.    
 
Ben Perin headlined the meet with a record-setting time of 21.46 in the 200m for a seventh-place finish and rank No. 33 in NAIA. Perin just clipped the previous program's record mark (21.70) by Kenya Singletary at Louisiana Tech Jim Mize Invitational nearly a year ago (4/19/2025). Perin also led the Trailblazers with a top-10 finish in the 100m with a 10.91 and was part of a second-place finish in the 4x100m relay with a time of 41.31.
 
Bryson Mcrae also cracked the national rankings with a season-best result in the long jump with a 7.13m mark for third place. Mcrae checks in at No. 28 in NAIA with that latest result. Mcrae also participated on the short-distant races with the 100m and 200m.
 
The 100m, 200m, and 400m featured at least a quartet of members from UNTD with the 200m featuring six and 400m with five.
 
Leading the Trailblazers in 400m was Jahaden Jackson with a second-place finish with a time of 50.04 seconds. He was just shy of his school record and PR, and just was outdone by DJ Kamara of North Central Texas College with a 48.88. This race featured 29 competitors, including several from NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist and UT Dallas.
 
Another top-10 place for the Trailblazers was in the 800m led by Devin Page with sixth and a time of 2:00.08.
 
In the 1500m, both Trailblazers registered their fastest times of the season led by Santos Vega with a 4:29.26 and Korey Grant with a 4:48.53. Grant captured the team's lone PR of the meet.
 
The 4x100m relay, which earlier this week clinched the school's first event to qualify for NAIA Nationals, had its core four runners of Danner, Ayanugo, White, and Perin post a 41.31 for second place. The squad was just 0.03 seconds behind host and NCAA DI North Texas. 
 
UNT Dallas prepares for its first Red River Athletic Conference Championship in New Orleans on April 24-25.    

Overall Results
UNT Dallas Results
 
100-Meter Dash (Prelims)

• Ben Perin (10.91 – 9th)
• Markevian White (10.97 – 14th)
• Bryson Mcrae (11.02 – 18th)
• Jackson Danner (11.14 – 26th)

200-Meter Dash

• Ben Perin (21.46 – 7th)
• Ernest Ayanugo (22.03 – 21st)
• Markevian White (22.20 – 27th)
• Jahaden Jackson (22.43 – 33rd)
• Bryson Mcrae (22.48 – 35th)
• Jackson Danner (22.71 – 42nd)

400-Meter Dash

• Jahaden Jackson (50.04 – 2nd)
• Ernest Ayanugo (51.22 – 13th)
• Devin Page (52.69 – 20th)
• Julian Adigler (52.75 – 21st)
• Keilond Wright (54.43 – 26th)

800-Meter Dash

• Devin Page (2:00.08 – 6th)
• Major McGill IV (2:07.91 – 22nd)
• Korey Grant (2:16.37 – 28th)

1500 Meters

• Santos Vega (4:29.26 – 23rd) 
• Korey Grant (4:48.53 – 51st) 

4x100m Relay

• Danner, Ayanugo, White, Perin (41.31 – 2nd)

Long Jump

• Bryson Mcrae (7.13m – 3rd)