Four Titles, Five Records, One National Qualifier at MCC Championships
William Penn University Athletics
Sterling, Ill.–The Statesmen track and field team is still a bit undermanned for a title hunt, but Saturday’s performance at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Indoor Championships proved it is getting closer.
William Penn placed third out of six teams with 114 points, improving two positions from a year ago. St. Ambrose dethroned two-time defending champion Grand View by a 226.5-209 margin.
Four individuals earned crowns in their respective events, while five program marks were set at the Championships. One individual even added his name to the list of national qualifiers.
Sam Taylor (So., Eddyville, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) was that individual as he won the 55-meter hurdle race with an NAIA provisional-qualifying time of 7.84 seconds. The time is also a school record.
The sophomore also placed sixth in both the high jump (6-0.75) and long jump (20-9.75).
Gabriel Green (Sr., Anniston, Ala., Business Management) was also a three-time placer and one-time champion. He highlighted his day by obtaining gold in the 200-meter dash in a time of 22.57 seconds. The senior was also second in the 400-meter dash (51.05 seconds) and fourth in the 55-meter dash (6.56 seconds).
Alex Edwards (So., Knoxville, Iowa, Secondary Education) and Yanni Gallagher (Fr., Kanab, Utah, Psychology) were multiple placers as well. Edwards joined Taylor and Green with a win in the 600-meter run in a school-record time of 1:21.02. His time was also an NAIA automatic standard, but he has already qualified in the event. He was fourth in the 800-meter run as well in 2:00.93.
Gallagher broke two school marks Saturday with silver in the 3,000-meter run (9:22.88) and bronze in the one-mile run (4:32.19).
Jalen Wilson (So., Desoto, Texas, Undecided) competed in just one event, but made it count with a winning long jump of 22-10.
A total of 11 other individuals or relays also scored points for the navy and gold, beginning with the 4×800-meter relay team breaking a school record with a second-place time of 8:14.56. The 4×400 squad was also solid, taking third in 3:29.27.
A trio of fifth-place finishes came from Kenbea Walker (So., McKinney, Texas, History/Government) in the 200-meter dash (23.10 seconds), Blake Washington (Jr., Knoxville, Iowa, Public Accounting) in the 800-meter run (2:01.74), and Frederick Pannell (Fr., Trenton, Mo.) in the triple jump (42-11.5).
Trevor Volz (So., Adel, Iowa, Applied Technology), in sixth at 8.23 seconds, and David Briscoe (Fr., Champaign, Ill., Sociology), in seventh at 8.39 seconds, both placed in the 55-meter hurdles.
Nick Thomas (So., Salmon, Idaho, Physical Education) was seventh in the 800-meter run (2:02.34) as was Bryndon Douglas (Fr., Omaha, Neb.) in the long jump (20-6.25). Kederick Givens (Fr., Wylie, Texas, Communications) wrapped up William Penn’s scoring by placing eighth in the 200-meter dash in 23.22 seconds.
Deane Wichelt (So., Blue Grass, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) just missed out on putting points up for his team, crossing the line in ninth in the one-mile run at 4:48.36. Jacob Huston (Fr., Malvern, Iowa, Business Management) was also in the top ten, taking tenth in the weight throw at 36-3.5. Van Love-Scott (So., Detroit, Mich., Education), with a triple jump of 40-9.75, and Stepfon Williams (Fr., St. Louis, Mo., Industrial Technology), with a 600-meter run time of 1:26.98, were tenth as well.
St. Ambrose’s John Darmody was named MCC Track Athlete of the Year, while Lance Maxwell of Grand View earned the MCC’s Field AOY accolade. St. Ambrose’s Dan Tomlin received Coach of the Year laurels from his peers.
Next: William Penn travels to Cedar Falls next Friday to compete in the UNI Dome Open for its last chance to qualify individuals for nationals.
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