Tim Badley narrowly missed winning the title in the 5,000 meters,
Badley Edged for Gold in 5,000-Meter Finals at Indoor Championships
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Holding the lead on the bell lap, Concordia’s Tim Badley earned Concordia’s fourth All-American award with a second-place finish in the 5,000 in the final day of competition at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships held in the Minidome on the campus of East Tennessee State University.
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Badley, a senior, took control of the race with a mile to go, creating as much as a 15-meter gap on the field before the final lap, but MidAmerica Nazarene’s Noah Too charged through the final turns to overtake Badley for the event title, finishing in 14:50.97 to Badley’s 14:51.77.
“Tim ran with a perfect strategy,” Concordia head coach Randy Dalzell said. “He stayed patient until he needed to go. Only one guy pursued him today and he almost pulled it out. But he ran a great race and collected a big confidence booster for outdoor season.”
Kacey Carr, competing for Olivet Nazarene, finished in third place with a 14:55.82 and Tobias Sauter of Huntington placed fourth after crossing the line at 15:01.12.
After a pair of newly minted All-American’s on Friday, Stephen Marshall opened the morning sessions by cracking into the top-six in the triple jump to earn the team’s third such distinction.
After fouling on his second attempt, Marshall uncorked a leap of 47-1 3/4 to qualify for the event finals. Unable to better his prelim jump, Marshall’s first-round mark would hold for sixth place. Lindenwood’s Illiyan Chamov took first with a 51-0 1/4 jump, a distance nearly three feet further than Dickinson State runner-up Kurt McCormick, who jumped 48-2 for second place.
Azusa Pacific captured the men's crown, beating Oklahoma Baptist University, 64.75 to 64, for the narrowest margin of victory in the 43-year history of the NAIA men's championship meet. Concordia finished in 14th place on the men’s side with 17 points.
“It was a great meet for us. We are thrilled to come back with four All-Americans after brining seven athletes,” Dalzell said.
In only its third year of existence, the Concordia University track & field program has produced 18 NAIA All-American performances: six in three years of indoor nationals and 12 in two seasons at the outdoor championships.
Men’s Team Scoring: 1. Azusa Pacific, 64 3/4; 2. Oklahoma Baptist, 64; 3. Dickinson State, 55; 4. Doane (Neb.), 42; 5. Black Hills State, 29; 6. McKendree, 27; 7. Concordia (Neb.); 8. Cedarville, 21; 9. Langston, 19; 10. Siena Heights, 18 3/4; 14. Concordia (Ore.), 17; T33. Eastern Oregon, 4; T38. 2.
Concordia Results
5,000: 2. Tim Badley, 14:51.77. Triple Jump: 6. Stephen Marshall, 47-1 3/4 (14.37m). Pole Vault: NH: Seth Cordell.