May 23, 2008
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - 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 in Edwardsville, Ill.
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 Annie Hess of Concordia University (Ore.) 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.).
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.
RECORDS BROKEN - DAY TWO
Women:
Discus Annie Hess Concordia (Ore.) 58.92 meters (192-7)
