Cav Men 5th, OIT Women 11th at NAIA Track Championships
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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Four individual national champions -- including outstanding performer honors on the women's side -- 22 All-American citations, a top-five team finish by the Concordia men and a top-11 finish by the Oregon Tech women highlighted an impressive overall performance by Cascade Collegiate Conference student-athletes at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships which concluded a three-day run here Saturday.
Azusa Pacific captured the men’s team title, finishing with 61 points to edge runner-up Dickinson State by four points. Oklahoma Baptist (55) was third, followed by Doane (51) and Concordia (47). Eastern Oregon finished 25th and Southern Oregon placed 26th.
On the women’s side, Wayland Baptist totaled 80 points in out-pointing second-place Simon Fraser (69). OIT totaled 27 points to share 11th place with Pt. Loma Nazarene; it was the highest finish ever for the OIT women's program. Concordia placed 13th, Southern Oregon 38th and Eastern Oregon 46th.
A pair of CCC athletes copped individual national crowns on the final day to bring the conference total for the event to four. Southern Oregon University’s Ryan Musselman won the men’s pole vault crown with a mark of 15-11, while Concordia’s Nik Kay claimed the men’s discus title with a mark of 190-7. Those championship performances came on the heels of title-winning efforts by Concordia’s Greg Schultz in the men’s hammer and Concordia’s Annie Hess in the women’s discus earlier in the meet.
The Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) men’s program and the Wayland Baptist University (Texas) women’s team, which had won the titles at the 2008 NAIA Indoor National Championships a little over two months ago in Johnson City, Tenn., repeated their efforts by taking the outdoor titles. This marks the first time since 1997 that the same men’s and women’s institutions captured both NAIA indoor and outdoor championships in the same year.
Azusa Pacific trailed by just two points heading into the final day of competition, but was bolstered by the performance on Saturday of senior Aron Rono. He won the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races on Saturday – in addition to taking the 10,000-meter run on Thursday -- on his way to being named the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Most Valuable Performer. The Cougars won a close race by collecting 61 points, three more than runner-up Dickinson State University (N.D.). Oklahoma Baptist University finished in third place with 55 points.
The CU men's finish was the highest result by a Cavalier team in the program's three-year history.
"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be in the top five," Concordia head coach Randy Dalzell said. "I think we really made our presence felt on the national stage this weekend. We've only been through three recruitment cycles and as we add depth we will continue to have a chance to move up in the standings."
Wayland Baptist was tied for the team lead after Friday’s events, but had climb out of an early hole when the University of British Columbia, the day two co-leader with Wayland Baptist, ran second, third and fourth in the marathon early Saturday morning. A victory in the women’s 200-meter dash by Kimberly Smith helped spur the comeback for the Pioneers, who ended the competition with a total of 80 points.
Simon Fraser University (B.C.) was second with 69 points, followed by British Columbia with 66 points.
“This is a great feat for us to accomplish (winning the indoor and outdoor titles) and I’m proud of our effort,” said 2008 NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year Brian Whitlock from Wayland Baptist. “It was a team effort all around, but Kim in the sprints, and Caroline (Karunde) in the distance races really stood out.”
Ruky Abdulai from Simon Fraser was the women’s Most Valuable Performer. Abdulai won three events at the meet, including the triple jump, high jump and high jump. She was also second in the 400-meter dash and was a member Simon Fraser’s 4 x 100-meter relay team that took third.
The NAIA also awards the Outstanding Performer Award to a male and female athlete whose individual event results are exemplary. The men’s winner from the 2008 meet was Michael Mason from British Columbia. Mason won the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.21 meters (seven feet, three inches), which was just one centimeter shy of his own NAIA national championship meet record.
Annie Hess from Concordia University (Ore.) took the women’s Outstanding Performer Award. Hess set a new NAIA championship meet record with a throw of 192 feet, seven inches. It is the seventh-best mark by an American female this year, and the effort qualifies Hess to compete in the Olympic Trials.
Other highlights from Saturday included two new NAIA championship meet records. In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Dallon Williams from California State University-San Marcos pulled away for a time of 10:18.96 to top the old mark of 10:32.63 established by Andrea Mohr from Southwestern College (Kan.) in 2004. The other new NAIA mark came in the women’s 5,000-meter run when Alissa McKaig of Indiana Institute of Technology turned in a time of 16:39.04. That bettered the old record of 16:44.19 set in 2005 by Oklahoma Baptist University’s Miriam Kaumba.
Individually, there were four NAIA repeat national champions crowned on Saturday. Abdulai led the way with her third straight high jump title. Her winning effort was 1.75 meters (five feet, 8 ¾ inches). Other women claiming back-to-back NAIA championships include Sherene Pinnock of Oklahoma Baptist University in the 400-meter hurdles.
On the men’s side, Lindenwood University’s Illiyan Chamov grabbed his second consecutive triple jump title with a distance of 14.93 meters (48 feet, 11 ¾ inches). In the men’s 200-meter finals, Tyrell Cuffy of King College (Tenn.) repeated with a time of 21.01 seconds.
Oklahoma Baptist won its fourth consecutive NAIA national championship in the women’s 4 x 400-meter relay. The Bison covered the course in a time of 3:42.11. In the women’s 4 x 100-meter relay, Wayland Baptist earned its second title in as many years. The Pioneers matched their winning effort from 2007 with a time of 46.21 seconds.
For a complete list of winners from the 2008 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field National Championships, please visit the NAIA website at www.naia.org.
A look at CCC athletes who earned All-America honors by finishing in the top six of their respective events:
| 2008 NAIA Outdoor Track All-Americans from the Cascade Conference |
| Name |
Last Name |
Institution |
Event |
Place |
Mark |
| Matt |
Artau |
Concordia |
Men's Discus |
4th |
169-10 |
| Tim |
Badley |
Concordia |
Men's 10,000 Meters |
4th |
30:53.05 |
| Doug |
Benson |
Eastern Oregon |
Men's 1500 Meters |
5th |
3:51.52 |
| Kyle |
Gomez |
Oregon Tech |
Men's Javelin |
4th |
200-10 |
| Annie |
Hess |
Concordia |
Women's Discus |
1st |
192-7 |
| Tyler |
Hopper |
College of Idaho |
Men's 1500 Meters |
6th |
3:52.48 |
| Stephanie |
Jensen |
Southern Oregon |
Women's Javelin |
4th |
138-1 |
| Nik |
Kay |
Concordia |
Men's Discus |
1st |
190-7 |
| Michelle |
Klaja |
Oregon Tech |
Heptathlon |
4th |
4710 |
| Michelle |
Klaja |
Oregon Tech |
Women's Javelin |
6th |
132-6 |
| Ryan |
Musselman |
Southern Oregon |
Men's Pole Vault |
1st |
15-11 |
| Lucas |
Ohmes |
Eastern Oregon |
Decathlon |
2nd |
6941 |
| Curtis |
Parrish |
Concordia |
Men's 400 Hurdles |
4th |
52.51 |
| Paul |
Roshau |
Concordia |
Men's Javelin |
2nd |
212-11 |
| Sarah |
Schelb |
Oregon Tech |
Women's Javelin |
5th |
134-1 |
| Erika |
Schmid |
Concordia |
Women's High Jump |
5th |
5-5 |
| Greg |
Schultz |
Concordia |
Men's Hammer |
1st |
207-4 |
| Lauren |
Sexton |
Concordia |
Women's Javelin |
3rd |
143-8 |
| Nikki |
Smith |
Oregon Tech |
Women's 100 Hurdles |
6th |
14.57 |
| Amy |
Sticka |
Oregon Tech |
Women's Triple Jump |
5th |
39-2 1/2 |
| Kelsey |
Stolz |
Oregon Tech |
Women's Javelin |
2nd |
150-4 |
| Cayla |
Weissert |
Eastern Oregon |
Women's Pole Vault |
6th |
11-3 3/4 |
FRIDAY RECAP -- DAY 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Day two of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships on Friday brought better weather and more record-breaking competition at Ralph Korte Stadium here, including a meet-record performance by Concordia's Annie Hess, who captured her second consecutive title in the women's discus.
In women's team scoring, Oregon Tech sits in fifth place with 27 points, while Concordia is in 10th with 16 points. On the men's side, Concordia is in third place, behind leader University of British Columbia and second place Oklahoma Baptist.
Hess, a junior, set a new meet record in capturing her second women’s discus title in as many years. Hess’ winning throw of 58.69 meters (192 feet, seven inches) was nearly two meters better than the record of 56.92 meters established back in 2003 by Vivian Chukwuemeka of Azusa Pacific University (Calif.).
Five more Cascade Collegiate Conference athletes earned All-America honors, bringing the two-day meet total to 15. Earning All-America honors on Friday by finishing in the top six of their events were Hess of Concordia (discus), Nikki Smith of Oregon Tech in the women's 100 hurdles, Amy Sticka of Oregon Tech in the triple jump, Michelle Klaja of Oregon Tech in the heptathlon, and Lucas Ohmes of Eastern Oregon in the decathlon.
For the second time in as many days, a four-time NAIA national champion was crowned. Senior Megan Huzzey from the University of British Columbia capped her career with a victory in the 3,000-meter race walk in a time of 14:12.12. Huzzey also captured the race walk title in three consecutive seasons from 2004-06. With her four race walk titles, Huzzey joins Ruki Abdulai of Simon Fraser University (B.C.) as the other four-time NAIA national champion at this year’s event. Abdulai won her fourth straight women’s long jump crown Thursday evening.
Speaking of Abdulai, she won her second event at the 2008 championships by posting a distance of 12.98 meters (42 feet, seven inches) in the triple jump. It marks the second NAIA title in the triple jump for Abdulai, who won the event back in 2005. Abdulai bested the defending champion in the event, Sarah Ensslen of Cedarville University (Ohio) by more than two feet.
Senior Mike Mason from British Columbia earned his third consecutive men’s high jump championship. Mason topped his winning effort of a year ago when he cleared a height of 2.21 meters (seven feet, three inches) and came up just shy of his NAIA record of 2.22 meters set two seasons ago.
Junior Shannon Hellman of Black Hills State University (S.D.) earned her second consecutive 100-meter hurdle championship, breezing to the title in a time of 14.04 seconds.
Team scores are shaping up to make for an exciting finish on Saturday. Through Friday’s events, the University of British Columbia and Wayland Baptist University (Texas) are tied for the lead in the women’s standings. Each team has compiled 36 points through 12 events. Azusa Pacific University (Calif.), the defending NAIA outdoor national champion, is sitting in third place with 34 points.
Almost the exact same scenario exists in the men’s team standings. British Columbia leads the field with 31 points, while the 2007 NAIA outdoor team champion, Oklahoma Baptist University, lurks in second place with 26 points. Concordia University (Ore.) and Indiana Wesleyan University stand close behind in third and fourth place, respectively.
In Friday’s dash finals, freshman Kimberly Smith from Wayland Baptist University (Texas) edged the 2007 champion, Lanece Clarke of McKendree University (Ill.) for the women’s 100-meter race. Smith’s time of 11.68 seconds nosed out Clarke by .05 seconds. Sophomore Tyrell Cuffy of King College (Tenn.) brought home the men’s 100-meter crown with a winning effort of 10.33 seconds.
Senior Rod Waters of Indiana Institute of Technology won the first men’s track and field championship in school history on Friday by taking the crown in the 110-meter hurdles. Waters covered the distance in a time of 13.98 seconds. Sophomore Inaki Gomez of British Columbia cruised to victory in the men’s 5,000-meter race walk.
In other men’s field events on Friday, sophomores dominated the action as Eric Flores of Black Hills State University (S.D.) took the shot put title, while Eric Tisdol grabbed first place in the long jump.
In the decathlon, junior Jonathan Hilton became the first Oklahoma Baptist University athlete in 22 years to win the event. Hilton accumulated 7,012 points to hold off Lucas Ohmes of Eastern Oregon University for the crown. Mark Elliston was the other Bison athlete to win the decathlon title back in 1986. Senior Zora Golcevska maintained her day one lead to grab the heptathlon championship. Golcevska piled up 4,857 points to outlast Sable Otey from Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.). Golcevska is the third different Cougar athlete to claim the heptathlon since the even was first contested in 1983, and the first since 1994.
Indiana Wesleyan University rallied in the final strides to grab the title in the men’s 4 x 800-meter relay, while Simon Fraser University held off Wayland Baptist University for the women’s 4 x 800-meter relay championship.
National champions for the 2008 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championships will be decided on Saturday. Events begin early Saturday morning with the men’s and women’s marathon, while the remaining finals get underway at Korte Stadium at 1 p.m. CDT.
THURSDAY RECAP -- DAY 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Concordia’s Greg Schultz won an individual title in the men’s hammer throw, and Cascade Collegiate Conference athletes posted runner-up finishes in the men’s and women’s javelin to highlight CCC action on the first day of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships here Thursday.
The three-day meet continues through Saturday.
Schultz uncorked a school-record throw of 207-4 in winning the national title in his specialty. Schultz held off a late challenge by Scott VanCura of Hastings College (Neb.), who had a mark of 204-11 on his final attempt. Schultz' CU teammate Nik Kay finished seventh with a throw of 182-4.
In the women’s javelin, Oregon Tech’s Kelsey Stolz led a 2-3-4-5-6 CCC finish with a throw of 150-11, good for a silver medal. She was followd by Concordia’s Lauren Sexton (143-8), Southern Oregon’s Stephanie Jensen (138-1), Oregon Tech’s Sarah Schelb (134-1) and OIT’s Michelle Klaja (132-6).
In the men’s javelin, Concordia’s Paul Roshau finished second with a mark of 212-11. OIT’s Kyle Gomez placed fourth with a throw of 200-10.
In the women’s pole vault, CCC athletes had a 6-7 finish, as Eastern Oregon’s Cayla Weissert finished sixth (11-3 ¾) and Southern Oregon’s Jamie Webb (11-3 ¾) finished seventh.
In the men's 10,000 meter finals, Concordia's Tim Badley placed fourth, finishing in a time of 30:53.05.
A total of 10 CCC athletes earned All-America honors by finishing among the top six in their respective events: Concordia's Greg Schultz (hammer), Lauren Sexton (javelin), Tim Badley (10,000), and Paul Roshau (javelin); Eastern Oregon's Cayla Weissert (pole vault); Oregon Tech's Kelsey Stolz (javelin), Sarah Schelb (javelin), Michelle Klaja (javelin) and Kyle Gomez (javelin); and Southern Oregon's Stephanie Jensen (javelin).
Through three events, Concordia leads the men's team scoring race, totaling 25 points. Oregon Tech is in 10th place with five points. On the women's side, Oregon Tech is in third place with 15 points, Southern Oregon and Concordia are tied for 13th place (6 points) and Eastern Oregon is in 20th place (3 points).
A number of CCC athletes qualified for finals in running events.
Other meet notes:
Repeat national champions were crowned in four different events on Thursday. Leading the way was senior Ruky Abdulai of Simon Fraser University (B.C.), who won her fourth consecutive NAIA women's long jump championship. Abdulai recorded a distance of 6.31 meters (20 feet, 8 ½ inches) to become just the third woman in NAIA history to win four straight titles in the same event. In addition, Abdulai matches Vivian Chukwuemeka of Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) with eight individual NAIA outdoor championships.
Azusa Pacific junior Aron Rono became the first male in NAIA championship history to win the 10,000-meter run three years in a row. Rono crossed the finish line with a final time of 29:56.17. Sophomore Elizabeth Gleadle from the University of British Columbia earned her second consecutive NAIA title in the women's javelin throw. Gleadle connected on a distance of 50.53 meters (165 feet, nine inches) to top her winning effort from a year ago of 49.29 meters (161 feet, eight inches).
Senior Meagan Bauer of Doane College (Neb.) edged Kelsey Aide of Dickinson State University (N.D.) and Rebecca Rospotynski of Malone College for first place in the women's pole vault. All three cleared a height of 3.60 meters (11 feet, 9 ¾ inches), but Bauer's effort came on her first attempt at the height.
On the men's side, senior Jeff Buller captured his second straight NAIA men's javelin title. Buller registered a throw of 65.43 meters (214 feet, eight inches) to get by runner-up Paul Roshau of Concordia University (Ore.), who posted a top throw of 64.89 meters (212 feet, 11 inches).
Aubrey Baxter of Black Hills State University (S.D.) got the national meet off to a rousing start by setting a new NAIA meet record in the women's hammer throw. Baxter's winning toss of 60.57 meters (198-9) edged the old mark of 60 meters set just two years ago by Chukwuemeka. Baxter brought home the Yellow Jackets' first women's individual national title since 2005.
In the women's 10,000-meter run, junior Alissa McKaig of Indiana Institute of Technology shaved more than two seconds off the previous event record. McKaig covered the distance in a time of 34:22.95
After the first day of events in the men's decathlon, sophomore Reid Gustavson of British Columbia holds a 96-point lead over junior Jonathan Hilton of Oklahoma Baptist University, with senior David Pichler of Azusa Pacific another 43 points back in third position. Through four events in the women's heptathlon, senior Zora Golcevska from Azusa Pacific leads junior Sable Otey of Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) by 58 points.
Friday's action will feature the conclusion of the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon. Individual events start up at 1 p.m. CDT with the finals of the men's shot put and the semifinals of the men's 110-meter hurdles. Friday will also mark Senior Recognition Day at Korte Stadium, where all senior qualifiers to the national meet will be honored in an afternoon ceremony.
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