The Red Banner Race Report

Welcome back to the Red Banner Race Report, the podcast where we go beyond the results to meet the humans chasing NAIA achievements in cross country and track and field. In this episode, we’re talking about someone who is reaching new heights - literally.

When you think of Voorhees University track and field in 2026, one name is currently hovering above the rest of the competition.   DeAndre Jones is a freshman sensation out of South Carolina, who recently cleared a massive 2.14 meters (7'0.25"), to claim the #1 high jump ranking in the NAIA, and also punched his ticket to...

Welcome to the Red Banner Race Report Podcast, your home for what’s happening on the oval, in the field, and on the trail across the NAIA. 

This episode will take us out west to the University of British Columbia. The Thunderbirds have a long tradition of track and field dominance, but our guest today is already rewriting that history just months into her collegiate career.  We are talking about elite jumping performance and the pursuit of national hardware. Joining us today is Nunu Ishaka, currently the number-one-ranked triple jumper in the NAIA.  She’s a freshman sensati...

Welcome to the Red Banner Race Report podcast, where we take a deeper dive into the amazing achievements and athletes in NAIA cross country and track and field.  Today’s guest is Tyrone Summerall of Central Methodist University.

It took two years, but Tyrone is finally back to running the 400-meter hurdles.

A school record and the current top time in the NAIA made it worth the wait as he clocked 51.57 to win the Central Methodist Invitational by nearly a full second. His previous best of 53.60 came during his senior year of high school when he...

Welcome back to the Red Banner Race Report, where we dive into the achievements of the incredible cross country and track and field athletes in the NAIA. I’m your host, Meran, and today, we have a guest who has quite literally rewritten the history books of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

Joining us is Milligan University senior Ellen-Mary Kearney.  During the indoor season, she won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships in the 1000, mile, 3000, and DMR and is the back-to-back NAIA national champion in the 3000, winning in 2025 and again this year in 2026.  She’s the only f...

2 minutes, 47 seconds. That’s how long it took to change Marian University history forever. In the final stretch of the 1000-meter final, our guest today ran her team straight onto the top of the podium for the first Red Banner in program history. 

Welcome back to another episode of the Red Banner Race Report, highlighting the achievements and inspiring stories in NAIA cross country and track and field. I'm your host, Meran, and today’s episode is a historic one.

A few weeks ago, in Gainesville, Florida, we didn't just see a championship; we saw a shi...

Welcome back to the Red Banner Race Report Podcast, featuring sprinter Netanel Dorothea.  His performance at the 2026 NAIA Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships (held March 5–7 in Gainesville, Florida) was a career-defining weekend. He was the only male athlete to win two individual titles, which earned him the NAIA Most Valuable Performer (MVP). Dorothea is one of the few athletes to achieve the indoor sprint double (winning both the 200m and 400m at the same national meet).

His indoor personal best of 46.69 in the 400 meters is faster than almost every national champion in the last decade, placi...

If you’ve been following the NAIA circuit lately, you know the name Nathan Cremin. After starting at Gardner-Webb, Nathan made the move to Montreat College and has since gone on an absolute tear.

We’re talking about the 2026 South Region Indoor Athlete of the Year and the man who recently obliterated a 20-year-old national record in the 1000m, clocking a 2:21.36 at the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, and winning the NAIA championships by almost three full seconds. Whether it’s the 600, the 800, or the DMR, he’s proving to be one of the most ver...

Hello and welcome to the Red Banner Race Report Podcast! My name is Meran, and I launched this podcast to shine a spotlight on the incredible athletes, coaches, and supporters that make the sports of cross country and track and field so special.  I spent some of the best years of my life as a collegiate runner racing in this division, and the memories and experiences I had while chasing the Red Banner changed my life.  I hope this podcast helps you get to know the humans behind the amazing athletic achievements within the NAIA, and the stories told he...