GENEVA, Ohio – (Full Results) The Eastern Oregon University Track and Field Team wrapped up the 2015 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships by earning one more national champion and four All-American honors on the third day of competition.
As a team, the men finished in eighth place with 28.5 points, while the women' finished in 19th place with 16 points.
In the first event of the day for the Mountaineers,
Hans Roelle, who ran the top time in the 1,000 meter preliminaries, was ready to defend his title. Roelle, who was battling an Achilles injury, raced in the top four for the majority of the race and right before the final lap, Roelle fell back to sixth place. With around 100 meters to go, Roelle made his move and pasted everyone. He finished in a time of 2:25.62, as he defended his title by winning this year by two seconds.
Harley McBride came in as the ninth seed in the high jump. McBride cleared her first two heights of 1.62 and 1.65 meters on the first attempt. McBride struggled at 1.68 as she needed all three attempts to clear it. On her first attempted at 1.71 meters (5-7 ¼) to secure third place and earning All-American honors. Her mark of 1.71 meters tied her own school record that she set last year at the national championships.
In the triple jump,
Hakeem Belle and
Travis Simpson came into the event as a seventh seed for Belle and 13th for Simpson. Both, Belle and Simpson advanced to the final. Simpson ended up with a jump of 14.33 meters (47-0 ¼) to earn ninth place. He finished one centimeter out of eighth place.
Belle saved his best jump of the day for his last attempt. Belle went 14.95 meters (49-0 ¾) breaking his own school record that he set this season. His jump of 14.95 meters earned him a second place finish and All-American status.
After running the fastest time in the 3,000 meter run in the preliminaries,
Isaac Updike needed a top eight finish to earn All-American honors. Updike ran in the front half of the race and he and four other runs started to pull away from the field with three laps to go. Updike could not get past the leaders and he came away with a fourth place finish and All-American honors, with a time of 8:30.81.