USTFCCCA News & Notes
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA May 25, 2019   

MEET RECAP: 2019 NAIA Outdoor T&F Championships

The 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships wrapped up on Saturday at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Alabama!

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Men’s and women’s champions were crowned in a number of events and most importantly, two teams walked away with the biggest prize in the game.

Keep reading to find out what happened in the Yellowhammer State over the weekend.

British Columbia Sweeps The Team Titles

One of the races for a team title seemed over before it even began.

The other went down to the penultimate event of the meet.

When all was said and done, though, British Columbia swept the team titles.

The Thunderbirds, who won their second outdoor national title in the past three years, ran away with the men’s crown as they led by 21 points entering the 5000. Then they extended that advantage to 33 points after Kieran Lumb captured the individual title in that event and Tyler Dozzi finished seventh.

UBC put up 10 ore more points in four events, including that aforementioned 5000. The Thunderbirds also scored big in the 5000 Meter Race Walk (18 points), 1500 Meters (17 points) and Hammer Throw (10 points).

William Carey (Miss.) finished runner-up on the men’s side.

Over on the women’s side, UBC was locked in an 88-all tie with Southern-New Orleans until the 5000 – the second-to-last event of the meet. That’s when Enid Au and Sarah MacArthur combined for 13 points with a runner-up and fourth-place finish to put the title out of reach for the Knights, who had one of the best 4×400 relay teams on deck.

The Thunderbird women scored eight or more points in seven events, including the 5000. Other big totals came from the 800 Meters (16 points), 1500 Meters (13 points) and the 5000 Meter Race Walk (11 points).

UBC had to score big because SUNO never backed down. After a convincing win in the 4×400 relay, the Knights ended the meet with 88 points, four behind the champion Thunderbirds.

Bringing Home Titles From The Yellowhammer State
Here is a list of athletes who won titles at the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama!
Event
Men’s Champion
Women’s Champion
100 Meters
Demarius Smith, Cumberlands
Aniekeme Etim, William Carey
200 Meters
Kevin Hallmon, Lindsey Wilson
Aniekeme Etim, William Carey
400 Meters
Quintaveon Poole, Wayland Baptist
Stacey Ann Williams, Southern-New Orleans
800 Meters
Matthew Van Eps, Dordt
Anna Shields, Point Park
1500 Meters
Rhys Kramer, British Columbia
Anna Shields, Point Park
5000 Meters
Kieran Lumb, British Columbia
Aminat Olowora, Oklahoma City
10,000 Meters
Mark Shaw, Oklahoma City
Aminat Olowora, Oklahoma City
100/110 Hurdles
Rasheem Brown, Milligan
Tiona Owens, Wayland Baptist
400 Hurdles
Joshua Haskin, MidAmerica Nazarene
Kimona Smikle, Southern-New Orleans
Steeplechase
Oscar KipKoros, Oklahoma City
Anika Rasubala, Northwest Christian
5000 Race Walk
Alger Liang, British Columbia
Anali Cisneros, Judson
Marathon
Jordan Bramblett, Embry-Riddle (Arizona)
Bailey Cossentine, William Jessup
4×100 Relay
Tennessee Wesleyan
Southern-New Orleans (La.)
4×400 Relay
Wayland Baptist
Southern-New Orleans (La.)
4×800 Relay
Dordt
British Columbia
High Jump
Malik Crandle, William Carey
Kyara Black, Spring Arbor
Pole Vault
Corey Sledge, Eastern Oregon
Dana Nemitz, Westmont (Calif.)
Long Jump
Zach Beltz, Southern Oregon
Destiny Copeland, Indiana Tech
Triple Jump
Malik Crandle, William Carey
Tiona Owens, Wayland Baptist
Shot Put
Mitchell Soviak, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Samantha Liermann, Concordia (Neb.)
Discus Throw
James Plummer, Grand View
Adrianna Shaw, Concordia (Neb.)
Hammer Throw
Rowan Hamilton, British Columbia
Michelle Carrillo, Grand View
Javelin Throw
Jalon Simpson, Olivet Nazarene
Kati Kneifl, Morningside
Combined Events
Pieter Top, Westmont (Calif.)
Kamberlyn Lamer, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)

Owens Gets An Exclusive Double

Tiona Owens of Wayland Baptist (Texas) won the triple jump on Friday.

But she wasn’t done topping the podium – not by a long shot.

Owens returned to action on Saturday in the final of the 100 Meter Hurdles and won that, too.

When you put those two victories together, Owens is only the third woman in NAIA history to complete that double at the same outdoor championships. Kimolyn Vanzant of Prairie View A&M was the first back in 1988 and Ruky Abdulai of Simon Fraser (B.C.) matched her 17 years later.

Talk About A Close Win

Jordan Downs of Bethel (Ind.) probably thought he had the victory in the men’s long jump locked up thanks to his first mark of 7.80m (25-7¼). After all, it stood as the top mark as seven of the other eight competitors in the event took their final cracks in the sixth round.

That’s when Zach Beltz of Southern Oregon jumped into the pit and snatched the victory right out of Downs’ hands.

Beltz soared 7.81m (25-7½) on the final attempt of the afternoon and won the event title by ONE CENTIMETER (or one-quarter inch for those imperial folks out there).

That was the first national title of Beltz’s career and the first individual title in a field event for Southern Oregon since 2008.

Gulf Shores Is Sweep City

Aminat Olowora started it.

Mark Shaw finished it.

The Oklahoma City duo swept the 10,000-meter titles on Thursday night and became the first set of teammates to do so since Aron Rono and Jacky Kipwombok did so in 2009.

This was the second year in a row that Olowora won the event, making her the seventh woman in NAIA history to accomplish that feat (First since Obsie Birru in 2010 and 2011).

Shaw was the first Star male athlete to win the event since 2014.