MARION, Ind.—A day after making an appearance at the top of the awards stand, Concordia’s Gabriella Dixson and Willy Irwin made a return trip to the top of the podium by capturing national titles in the women’s discus and men’s shot.
With the win in the discus, Dixson concludes her career as a four-time national champion. Just a sophomore, Irwin, meanwhile, tallied three national titles in his first season at Concordia.
For his accomplishments, Irwin was named the meet’s Most Valuable Performer for the men.
With the throwing powers leading the way, the Concordia women placed fourth overall in the team standings with 48 points while the men placed seventh overall with 34.33 points.
Indiana Tech captured both team titles with their women scoring 122 points and their men’s team totaled XX. Oklahoma Baptist placed second on the women’s side with 82.75 points and second on the men’s side with 68 points.
The finish was the fifth straight top-10 team result for the women following runner-up honors last year and winning the overall championship in 2011. The men recorded their sixth straight top-10 result. Overall, the Cavaliers recorded four individual national championships and nine additional All-American performances.
Irwin captured his second national title in as many days and third of the year by claiming the men’s shot put on Saturday. The NAIA’s top thrower in the event, Irwin advanced to finals with the third-best mark but quickly moved up by tossing a 62-8 1/2 (19.11m) on his fourth attempt to move into first place. The mark would go on to hold as Northwood’s Alex Adams, the opening round leader, settled for second place with a 61-0 1/4 (18.60m).
2013 NAIA Outdoor Track Championships Gallery
Irwin uncorked a would-be meet record on his final throw of the afternoon, a throw measured at 67-0 1/4 (20.42m), but slipped on his final turn and stepped outside the circle for a foul. Steve Ercegovan of Taylor (Ind.) holds the meet record with a 65-9 3/4 (20.06m).
Mimicking her teammate on the men’s side, senior Gabriella Dixson won the discus to match a national championship in the shot put from less than 24 hours ago. Dixson, the returning champion in the discus unleashed a career-best 181-1 (55.20m) on her third attempt of the day. Five of Dixson’s six attempts would have won the discus title as Emily Smith of Aquinas took home second place with a 165-7 (50.46m). Emily Redmayne, a Concordia senior that placed second in the discus in 2009 and sixth in 2009, earned her third All-American honor in the event with another sixth-place finish after whirling a season-best mark of 149-10 (45.67m).
Dixson’s win was the sixth in the last seven years by a Concordia athlete in the women’s discus. Former Cavalier Annie Hess won the discus three straight years from 2007-09 and Kayla Xavier in 2011 to add to Dixson’s back-to-back accomplishments. Irwin’s win was the fourth in the men’s discus behind Nik Kay’s championships in 2008 and 2009 and Nate Moses’ title in 2012.
Flirting with the school record, Linsie Michels placed third overall in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:28.52. The time shaved .28 off Michels’ career best of 4:28.80 and fell just .16 off the school record of 4:28.36 set by Andria Scheese at the 2011 NAIA National Championships.
Also competing in the 1,500 finals, sophomore Sarah Whybark cut two seconds off her career best with a 4:38.90, easily bettering her former fastest time of 4:40.16 set at CCC championships two weeks ago. College of Idaho’s Hillary Holt successfully defending her title in the event with a 4:26.92, edging second-place finisher Maria Bernard (4:27.93) of British Columbia by just over one second.
Less than two hours away from nearly setting the school record in the 1,500, Michels came back to gut out a fifth-place finish in the 800 with a time of 2:11.12. Michels held steady within the middle of the pack and charged down the final 100 meters to move up a spot and score a key four points for the Cavaliers. With a final push over the last 60 meters, Oklahoma Baptist’s Hannah Helker beat College of Idaho’s Hillary Holt to the line, 2:07.23 to 2:07.96.
Ranked ninth entering the meet, Mikel Eliott earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in the steeplechase by recording a season-best time of 10:56.08. The time moves Elliott closer to the school record of 10:43.23 held by former national champion Lauren Moran. College of Idaho’s Sora Klopfenstein won the event with a 10:35.58.
National Champions
1st, Gabriella Dixson, Discus
1st, Gabriella Dixson, Shot Put
1st, Willy Irwin, Discus
1st, Willy Irwin, Shot Put
Additional All-Americans
2nd, Sharayah Kenady, Hammer
2nd, Bo Johnson, Hammer
3rd, Linsie Michels, 1,500
3rd, Adam Riddle, Hammer
5th, Gabriella Dixson, Hammer
5th, Linsie Michels, 800
6th, Mikel Elliott, Steeplechase
6th, Emily Redmayne, Discus
8th, Ethan Moore, High Jump
Concordia Results
400 (prelims): Andre Washington, DQ.
800 (prelims): 18. Demetrius Rhodes, 1:55.31.
400 Hurdles (prelims): 3. (Section 2) Jordan Reeher, 54.67.
High Jump: T8. Ethan Moore, 6-7 (2.01m).
Shot: 1. Willy Irwin, 62-8 1/2 (19.11m).
Discus: 1. Wily Irwin, 186-10 (56.96m); 18. Bo Johnson, 152-8 (46.54m).
Hammer: 2. Bo Johnson, 198-1 (60.39m); 3. Adam Riddle, 196-2 (59.81m).
1,600 Relay (prelims): 15. Concordia, 3:17.87 (Jordan Reeher, Joshua Bland, Demetrius Rhodes, Andre Washington).
800 (finals): 5. Linsie Michels, 2:11.12.
800 (prelims): 1. (Section 2) Linsie Michels, 2:12.99.
1,500 (finals): 3. Linsie Michels, 4:38.52; 11. Sarah Whybark, 4:38.80.
1,500 (Prelims): 6. (Section 1) Linsie Michels, 4:42.03; 7. (Section 1) Sarah Whybark, 4:43.03.
Steeplechase (finals): 6. Mikel Elliott, 10:56.08.
Steeplechase (prelims): 2. (Section 1) Mikel Elliott, 11:14.43.
Shot: 1. Gabriella Dixson, 51-2 3/4 (15.61m); 11. Johna McEllrath, 44-0 3/4 (13.43m).
Discus: 1. Gabriella Dixson, 181-1 (55.20m); 6. Emily Redmayne, 149-10 (45.67m).
Hammer: 2. Sharayah Kenady, 189-3 (57.59m); 5. Gabriella Dixson, 177-3 (54.04m).