PORTSMOUTH —Aiden Kammler has had a great start to the year already — and the indoor track and field season is just now reaching full song.

This past Thursday, Kammler was named as one of The Stride Report’s Top 20 NAIA Indoor Track athletes.

On Saturday, Kammler proved why.

The Shawnee State senior and Portsmouth native began his 2024 men’s indoor track and field campaign on a positive note at the Otterbein Invitational— as Kammler, in notching a converted 8:26.49, not only won the 14-runner 3,000-meter run, but set an NAIA National ‘A’ Standard time in the event, continuing his legendary career and getting himself on the board once again as the senior works toward yet another appearance in late February’s and early March’s NAIA National Championships.

He also racked up River States Conference Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors — in his first-ever indoor track meet competing under the River States Conference banner, as announced by conference officials on Monday afternoon.

Kammler came within two seconds of hitting his personal-best time (8:24.81) in the 3,000 meters, which was the time that he ran in finishing fifth at the 2023 NAIA Men’s Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

His 3,000-meter time is already over four seconds faster than it was at this same month last year, as Kammler ran an 8:30.76 to begin the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track and Field season — at the Wittenberg Steemer Showcase last January.

Kammler is the only RSC qualifier so far in the 3,000-meter run at either the NAIA ‘A’ or ‘B’ Standard level, and is one of 10 athletes in the NAIA which have clicked off an NAIA National ‘A’ Standard time in the event.

He is one of just seven runners in the country to run a time of under 8:27 (in the event).

Saturday’s effort marked Kammler’s eighth individual victory in either cross country, indoor track or outdoor track — with seven of those triumphs coming in indoor and outdoor track alone.

Behind Kammler, however, there were other additional strong performances.

Shawnee State thrower Dayton O’Dell tied the school-record throw in the shot put, while Shawnee State runner Kaiden Lanoy — who competed in the 3,000-meter run alongside Kammler — clicked off the fastest-ever mark for a SSU freshman in the event, rounding out a successful showing for the Bears.