ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Cumberlands (Ky.) capped a standout week at the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship by rising above a deep, talented field to claim the team's second.  

Discus

The men’s discus featured a strong showing from Cornerstone (Mich.), led by junior Stuart Stovall, who won the event with a top throw of 55.75m (182-11) to score 10 points, while teammate Alex Pranger, a sophomore, followed in second at 53.47m (175-05) for 8 points. Life (Ga.) junior Winston Sanders rounded out the top three with 53.10m (174-02) and 6 points. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) sophomore Alexander Dawkins placed fourth at 51.38m (168-07), setting a personal best, and Doane (Neb.) senior Christopher Brown took fifth with 51.13m (167-09). The remaining scoring spots were claimed by Dakota State (S.D.) freshman Oliver Tordsen (50.84m), Dickinson State (N.D.) senior Dylan Dahlgren (50.38m), and Columbia (Mo.) junior Brenin Howell (50.29m), to round out the All-Americans. The rest of the field led by Concordia (Neb.) sophomore Nathan Baldwin in ninth at 47.69m and Milligan (Tenn.) freshman Trevor Sinard in 10th at 47.26m.

Pole Vault

The men’s pole vault featured a strong winning clearance from Tyler Shipley of Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), who took first by clearing 5.00m (16-04.75) to score 10 points. A tight battle followed at 4.80m (15-09.00), where Willem Den Hartog of Dordt (Iowa) matched his personal best, while tying for second alongside Indiana Tech’s Jayden Packer; Isaac Bowden (Cornerstone, Mich.) placed fourth, and Ridge Willard (Indiana Wesleyan) finished fifth, all at the same height. The next group cleared 4.65m (15-03.00), with Adrien Calderon and Ty Leischner (both Dickinson State (N.D.)), Carter Giittinger (Friends (Kan.)), Jake Grangier (Marian (Ind.)), and Carter Huntsman (Indiana Tech) sharing sixth and picking up 1.2 points each.

Triple Jump

The men’s triple jump featured Voorhees (S.C.) sophomore Jayden Burris, who won the event with a leap of 16.32m (53-06.50) with a +2.5 m/s wind. The mark matched the championship record, but it will not be counted as a record due to the wind aid of over +2. The previous record was set by Carey Tyler of Biola (Calif.) in 1981 at 16.32.

Corban (Ore.) freshman Oliver Reis took second at 15.47m (50-09.25), a mark that moved him to new No. 5 in the 2026 NAIA rankings, earning 8 points. Voorhees continued to stack the podium as Jaylen Burris placed third with 15.39m (50-06.00) for 6 points and senior Michael Tatnall added a fourth-place finish at 15.16m (49-09.00) for 5 points. St. Thomas (Fla.) sophomore Elijah Smith rounded out the top five with 14.97m (49-01.50), while notable additional marks included Indiana Tech freshman Adam Teitelbaum’s 14.87m (48-09.50) in sixth and Central Methodist (Mo.) junior Brian Shine’s 14.82m (48-07.50).

3000m Steeplechase

The 3,000m steeplechase was led by British Columbia junior Maximilien Filion, who took the win in 9:01.15 to score 10 points. Taylor (Ind.) senior Jared Stayte followed in 9:04.45, setting a new personal best, while Northwest (Wash.) sophomore Josiah Jaquith claimed third in 9:07.66. Shawnee State (Ohio) junior Isaiah Lanoy placed fourth in 9:10.34, and Aquinas (Mich.) senior Brian Langlois rounded out the top five in 9:13.47 with a PB. William Penn (Iowa) junior Andrew Miller (9:14.52) and Goshen (Ind.) senior Mathew Keitany (9:15.14, new season best) added points in sixth and seventh, with Culver-Stockton (Mo.) senior Logan Lucas taking eighth in 9:18.81, closing out the list of All-Americans.

4x100 Relay

The men’s 4x100 relay was tightly contested, with Cumberlands (Ky.) taking the win in 39.57,  earning 10 points behind the lineup of J. Afolayan, W. Mebena, E. Van Wyk, and A. Wesley. Marian (Ind.) followed closely with 39.72, a new season-best worth 8 points, as W. Osafo, J. Brown, M. Hunter, and J. Phillips nearly chased down the leaders. St. Thomas (Fla.) placed third in 40.01 for 6 points with K. Knowles, J. Baptiste, K. Crabbe, and J. Weaver, while Madonna (Mich.) was right behind in fourth at 40.09 for 5 points with J. Neal, K. Wilkerson, J. Lazo-Larrahondo, and N. Dorothea. Voorhees (S.C.) rounded out the top five in 40.30 for 4 points, followed by Dillard (La.) in 40.80 and Indiana Tech in 40.83, while Central Methodist (Mo.) did not finish.

1500m

The men’s 1500m was tightly contested, with Park (Mo.) freshman Cody Hammond taking the win in 3:59.19 and edging Taylor (Ind.) senior Joel Mumaw (3:59.62) and Spring Arbor (Mich.) junior Camden Khon (3:59.65) in a three-man finish separated by less than half a second. Cumberlands (Ky.) freshman Niklas Scherb followed closely in 3:59.82, keeping four athletes under 4:00, while Columbia (Mo.) freshman Marcos Lara just missed the barrier in 4:00.15. Marian (Ind.) junior Tristan Trevino (4:00.22) and Cumberlands sophomore Ishak Mekideche (4:00.25) stayed in the hunt.

110m hurdles

In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Koby Higginbotham of William Penn (Iowa) took the win in 13.91 with a +1.0 m/s wind, setting a new personal best and scoring 10 points for his team. Rust freshman Kaden Andrus followed closely in 14.02 (PB) for 8 points, while Central Methodist (Mo.) senior Cortney Watkins placed third in 14.04 (PB) to add 6 points. Indiana Tech had two strong finishers, with freshman Nic Tozier fourth in 14.08 (PB) and sophomore Javion Westfield sixth in 14.30, surrounding Shawnee State (Ohio) freshman Chayse Lipscomb’s fifth-place 14.18 (PB). Campbellsville (Ky.) senior Schavon Carr finished seventh in 14.47, and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) sophomore Lance Jones rounded out the scoring in eighth.

400m

The men’s 400m featured a tight battle at the front, with Tavon Davis of Cumberlands (Ky.) taking the win in 45.88, narrowly edging Netanel Dorothea of Madonna (Mich.) at 45.91—also a new personal best. Daiveon Gayle-Woodley of Indiana Tech secured third in 46.76, followed by Eric Materna of Marian (Ind.) in 47.33 and Jamal Walton of St. Thomas (Fla.) in 47.62. Nathan Mathern of Bismarck State (N.D.) was close behind in 47.78, while freshmen Karri Noel of Xavier (La.) ran 49.62 in seventh, and James Farmer-Cole of MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) rounded out the field in 54.78.

100m

In the men’s 100m, Nicholas Altheimer of St. Thomas (Fla.) took the win in 10.28, earning 10 points as a freshman. Barnabas Aggerh of William Carey (Miss.) was close behind in 10.30 for 8 points, while Kaiden Merryman of Hastings, (Neb.) secured third in 10.40 to add 6. William Carey also picked up more scoring with freshman Jaylyn Session finishing fourth in 10.42 (5 points). Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) placed two athletes in the top eight—Cambell Rawlings was fifth in 10.48 (4 points) and Maxwell Wordui eighth in 10.62 (1 point)—with Anthony Gentles of Talladega (Ala.) taking sixth in 10.51 (3 points) and Hollis Morton of Brewton-Parker ( Ga.) seventh in 10.52 (2 points).

800m

In the 800m, Luis Peralta of Milligan (Tenn.) took the win in 1:47.94, a personal best and earned 10 points. Nathan Cremin of Montreat (N.C.) finished second in 1:49.80 for eight points, followed by Corlando Chambers of Central Methodist (Mo.) in third at 1:50.90 for six points. Central Methodist (Mo.) added more scoring with Oliver Cabana placing fourth in 1:51.69 (5 points), while Hunter Roy of The Master’s (Calif.) was close behind in fifth at 1:51.78 (4 points). Dean Reynolds of Spring Arbor (Mich.) took sixth in 1:52.60 (3 points), Benjamin Riehle of Marian (Ind.) was seventh in 1:53.21 (2 points), and freshman Cody Hammond of Park (Mo.) rounded out the scoring in eighth with 1:54.19 (1 point).

400m hurdles

The men’s 400m hurdles featured a tight battle at the front, led by British Columbia junior James Kerr, who took the win in 50.30 with a personal best. Xavier (La.) junior Jaheene Bell was close behind in 50.46, also a PB, while Life (Ga.) senior Sean Hewitt rounded out the top three in 51.20 with another personal best and a new 2026 NAIA mark. Lawrence Tech (Mich.) junior Camron Krebs followed in 51.49, and Central Methodist (Mo.) freshman Tyrone Summerall added yet another PB to the results in 51.56. Texas A&M–Texarkana junior Jayden Erickewe (51.95 PB) and Central Methodist sophomore Logan Bass (52.72) helped keep the mid-pack competitive, with St. Thomas (Fla.) freshman Jimmy Baptiste finishing eighth in 54.69.

200m

In the men’s 200m with a +1.6 m/s wind, Nicholas Altheimer of St. Thomas (Fla.) led the way in 20.55 to set a new personal best, scoring 10 points. Willy Mebena of Cumberlands, (Ky.) was close behind in 20.63, also a PB, earning 8 points. Zaireon Skinner of Voorhees (S.C.) took third in 20.76 for 6 points, followed by Jeremiah Brown of Marian (Ind.) in 21.02—his season best —worth 5 points. Romeo Brown of Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) placed fifth in 21.11 for 4 points, Elijah Goddard of Truett-McConnell (Ga.) was sixth in 21.16 for 3 points, and Netanel Dorothea of Madonna, Mich. rounded out the scoring in seventh with 21.37 for 2 points.

5000m

Indiana Wesleyan sophomore Trenton Sweet won the 5000m in 14:15.15, edging The Master’s senior Jack Anderson (14:16.95) in a tight battle at the front. Trinity Western sophomore Yemane Mulugeta rounded out the podium in 14:20.26, while Southern Oregon junior Carter Stedman took fourth in 14:27.28 with a personal best. Rio Grande senior Tyler Jenkins (14:30.44) and Corban junior Jack Gladfelter (14:31.60) followed.

4x400 Relay

In the men’s 4x400 relay, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) claimed the win in 3:10.27 behind the quartet of E. White, C. Price, N. Mack, and D. Dussett and earned the team 10 points. Central Methodist (Mo.) was close behind for second in 3:10.48 with L. Bass, I. Lawson, C. Chambers, and T. Summerall, followed by Marian (Ind.) in third at 3:10.61 as D. Parker, E. Givens, T. Jones, and E. Materna kept the race tight through the final exchange. Indiana Tech took fourth in 3:10.92—also a new season best—while St. Thomas (Fla.) (3:11.33), Cumberlands (Ky.) (3:12.34), British Columbia (3:17.78), and Xavier (La.) (3:19.96) rounded out the scoring in a deep final where the top four teams were separated by just over six-tenths of a second.

Team Scores

Cumberlands (Ky.) set the early pace with 79 points, but Indiana Tech quickly smoved up the leader board to finish second with 49.2 points. St. Thomas (Fla.) followed right behind with 49  and Marian (Ind.) kept the pressure on at 44.2. The biggest jump came from Voorhees (S.C.), which piled up 44 and Cornerstone (Mich.) stayed within striking distance at 39 as the meet’s high-value events began to swing the standings. Central Methodist (Mo.) and British Columbia continued the climb, and then a tight logjam formed at 26 points with Carroll (Mont.), Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), and Life (Ga.) all landing on the same total.

Awards

Outstanding Performer: Jayden Burris of Voorhees for his jump at 16.32m.

Most Valuable Performer: Nicholas Altheimer of St. Thomas (Fla.), who won 21 points

Coach of the Year: Bradley Sowder, Cumberlands (Ky.)