Warriors capture first championship since 2014 and third overall, first time in meet’s 70-year history that men’s teams tie for title; Madonna’s Floyd, Milligan’s Kearney, William Carey’s Emmanuel and Westmont’s Sokhela all earn two wins

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

There were plenty of firsts in the men’s competition at the NAIA Outdoor Championships, including the only tie for the title in the 70-year history of the finals.

But when it came to deciding the women’s winner, it was more of the same for Indiana Tech, which completed a sweep of indoor and outdoor crowns by capturing a third championship in program history with 84 points Friday at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium Complex in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The Warriors relied on titles in the 100-meter hurdles from Leondra Correia and the 5-kilometer race walk by Loanie Cellard (25:47), along with second-, third- and fifth-place finishes in the long jump Wednesday, the latter from Correia, to secure their first title since back-to-back victories in 2013-14.

William Carey (Mississippi) was second with 65 points and Concordia (Nebraska) took third with 63.5 points.

The paths traveled for Doane (Nebraska) and Madonna (Michigan) to share their first titles could not have been more different, but they both ended up with 44 points, one ahead of third-place Indiana Tech, which was trying to match the success of the women’s team by winning indoor and outdoor championships.

Madonna relied on the 5,000 and 10,000 sweep from senior Tony Floyd, who clocked 14:34.05 and 30:14.09 to become the first male athlete since Geoffrey Kipchumba of William Carey in 2018 to win both distance titles.

The Crusaders also received a victory from junior Steven Anderson in the 110-meter hurdles in a wind-aided 13.76, along with scoring in the 200, 400 hurdles and triple jump.

Doane didn’t have an individual or relay champion, but did field a 4x400 relay, which was crucial in its title pursuit. The Tigers received a combined 14 points in the pole vault behind second- and third-place finishes from Levi Sudbeck and Connor Floyd, in addition to scoring in the high jump, long jump and triple, as well as the discus, hammer and javelin throws, along with the 110 hurdles, decathlon and marathon.

But with Madonna watching on, a third-place finish in the 4x400 by Indiana Tech (3:11.56) behind defending champion Wayland Baptist (3:10.12) and runner-up St. Mary of Kansas (3:11.37) wasn’t enough to lift the Warriors, as Doane placed fourth in 3:11.56 to create a co-championship.

Indiana Tech, which won men’s titles in 2013, 2014 and 2016, received victories from a pair of freshmen, as Zayquan Lincoln prevailed in the 200 in a wind-aided 20.77 and Jordan Highsmith clocked 46.15 in the 400.

The only other time in NAIA Championships history a pair of programs shared titles was the 2001 women’s final, with Doane also involved, matching Life University (Georgia) with 59 points.

Milligan graduate student-athlete Emily Kearney set championship meet records in the women’s 5,000 and 10,000, clocking 16:09.11 and 34:07.91.

Kearney, who won indoor 3,000 and 5,000 titles last year for Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, eclipsed the 5,000 mark of 16:20.96 set in 2005 by Oklahoma Baptist’s Mirriam Kaumba. She also took down the 2019 record of 34:14.38 achieved by Aminat Olowora of Oklahoma City.

William Carey freshman Ineh Emmanuel and Westmont freshman Senzo Sokhela joined Kearney and Floyd in winning two individual championships.

Emmanuel produced three marks over 26 feet in the long jump, including a wind-legal leap of 26-9.25 (8.16m) on his first attempt, to secure the program’s first championship in the event. He also prevailed in the triple jump with a wind-aided 52-4.50 (15.96m) performance, following the victory achieved by Malik Crandle for the Crusaders in 2019.

Emmanuel nearly added a third win in the 100-meter dash, as he was edged by Warner freshman Alexander Gray in a wind-aided final by a 10.31 to 10.32 margin. He was still the first male athlete to sweep both horizontal jumps since 2018.

Sokhela earned the first 800 title for Westmont with a 1:50.08 effort, following a 1,500 victory in 3:54.29, becoming the first male athlete to capture both championships since 2012. The 1,500 title was the first for Westmont, which had Dennis Savage capture back-to-back mile crowns in 1969 and 1970.

Westmont also added a men’s pole vault championship, with junior Seth Wilmoth clearing 16-8.75 (5.10m) second attempt.

Bailey Cossentine of William Jessup joined Correia in becoming a winner of multiple national titles as a mother, repeating as marathon champion in 3:05:19.30.

Cossentine became the first female athlete to repeat since Wendy O’Lexey of Black Hills State in 2009-10, and just the third in championship history, along with Tracy Nelson of Winona State in 1986-87.

Correia edged William Carey freshman Joy Abu by a 13.67 to 13.68 margin in a wind-aided 100 hurdles final. Abu rebounded to secure the 400 hurdles crown in 59.52.

William Carey also won the women’s 4x100 relay in 45.51, with Aniekeme Etim repeating as 100-meter champion by holding off teammate Fredricka McKenzie in a wind-aided final by a 11.44 to 11.47 margin.

Etim added a second-place finish in the 200 in 23.57, with Southeastern University freshman Jaqual Bush clocking 23.50 to earn the title.

Concordia received victories from sophomore Elizabeth Stottlemyre in the javelin with a sixth-round throw of 167-2 (50.95m), along with freshman Josie Puelz with a first-time clearance in the pole vault at 13-3.50 (4.05m).

The Bulldogs also had senior Jacob Cornelio win the men’s hammer championship with a second-round throw of 219 feet (66.76m).

Huntington (Indiana) received a victory from Emma Wilson in the 1,500 in 4:28.60, giving the Illinois transfer individual titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in her first year with the Foresters.

Huntington added a championship in the men’s 400 hurdles from junior Dylan Felger, who clocked 51.18.

Freshman Shandon Reitzell of Midland (Nebraska) won the men’s high jump with a third-attempt clearance at 7-2.25 (2.19m). Reitzell, who secured the Warrior’s first title in the event since Whit Smith won three in a row from 2002-04, also captured the indoor crown with a 6-11.75 (2.13m) clearance.

Bria Sands of Life University, the 2017 triple jump champion, added a long jump victory with a wind-legal leap of 20-2.50 (6.16m) in the third round.

Lee Walburn of Carroll (Montana) secured the first victory in any competition for the Fighting Saints since 2016 by prevailing in the decathlon with 7,095 points. Joseph Dotson of Southern Oregon placed second with 6,957 points.

Cornerstone (Michigan) junior Morgan Luedy secured the heptathlon crown with 5,041 points, the first championship for the Golden Eagles in the multi-events since Brittany Green in 2014.

Grant Gaylor earned the first men’s championship in program history for Indiana Kokomo, producing a first-round mark of 61-5.75 (18.74m) in the shot put.

Kaleigh Dill also captured the first women’s title in any event for Tabor (Kansas) with a second-round effort of 47-1.75 (14.37m) in the shot put.

Janae Moffitt captured the first women’s high jump crown for Indiana Wesleyan since 2004, clearing 5-8 (1.73m) on her first attempt. Marian (Indiana) freshman Erin Oleksak also made the height on her third attempt to place second overall.

Grand View junior LaVon Davis produced a sixth-round throw of 163-2 (49.73m) to earn the program’s first championship since 2016. Hastings freshman Kiara Anderson also moved up with a sixth-round effort of 160-1 (48.79m).

Josh Mathis, a senior at St. Ambrose (Iowa), captured the first men’s title in any field event with a second-round effort of 167-9 (51.15m) in the discus.

Marian freshman Naomi Walters produced the program’s first women’s crown with a third-round mark of 41-2.25 (12.55m) in the triple jump. Sands jumped 41-0.50 (12.51m) in the third round to place second.

St. Francis (Illinois) senior Brittany Bodnar prevailed in the women’s hammer throw with a fifth-round performance of 188-3 (57.38m), securing the program’s first victory in the event since 2017.

Becca Richtman, a junior, became the first women’s champion in any event for Montana Tech, clocking 10:51.74 in the 3,000 steeplechase, rallying past Lemi Wutz of Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah (10:53.14).

Oklahoma City senior Kipruto Cherutich clocked 8:55.60 to win the men’s 3,000 steeplechase, following teammate Oscar Kipkoros’ victory two years ago.

Aquinas (Michigan) freshman Jakarri Alven prevailed in the women’s 400 final over Southern Oregon senior Arianna Daniel by a 55.29 to 55.33 margin for the school’s first championship since 2017.

Bethel (Indiana) junior Emma Mott clocked 2:09.53 in the 800 to secure the program’s title in any event in four years.

Jake Barraclough captured the first men’s marathon title for Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, clocking 2:37:59.13.

Rio Grande (Ohio) achieved its first men’s 5,000 race walk championship since 2005, with Dean Freitag winning in 22:26.51.

In addition to repeating in the men’s 4x400, Wayland Baptist also won the women’s 4x400 in 3:42.76 for the Pioneers’ first victory since 2015.

Dordt swept the 4x800 championships, with the men’s team securing back-to-back crowns in 7:30.55, becoming the first to repeat since Azusa Pacific won five in a row from 2003-07. The Defenders also captured their first women’s title in any event since 2013 in 9:06.54.

Dillard (Louisiana) produced its first men’s 4x100 victory in 40.69.