GULF SHORES, Ala. - Senior Bailey Dell put the final authoritative stamp on her illustrious career on Thursday, winning the NAIA National Championship in the javelin at the NAIA Track & Field National Championships.
Dell becomes NCU's first-ever individual national champion, doing so with a winning throw of 47.43 meters on her first toss of the finals.
Dell won the event by 23 inches over Kati Kniefl from Morningside College (46.84m). Fellow Cascade Conference competitor Anna Miller from Northwest University finished third (44.74m).
Also taking place on Thursday were the prelims for the women's 3000m Steeplechase. Leading the way was sophomore Anika Rasubala who was fifth in her heat and seventh overall to secure a spot in Saturday's finals. She ran a 12-second personal best 11:05.84. Also qualifying for the final was Cass Brownell who came in sixth place in the second heat and claimed the 14th and final spot in the championship run by three seconds (11:26.65).
Saturday's 3000m Steeplechase final will close out the 2018 Women's Track & Field season. The ladies will run at 11:00 am PST in a revised schedule due to more anticipated storms in the gulf coast region.
On the men's side, three Beacons were in action. After an extensive lightning-induced weather delay, senior Garrett Kraal took to the track in the 1500m prelims in the mid-afternoon. Kraal ended the race in 13th-place, missing out on the championship finals by just 0.25 seconds. His time of 4:58.83 was the ninth-fastest in NCU history.