Meet Recap: 2025 NAIA Outdoor T&F Championships

Champions were crowned at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Marion, Indiana!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

British Columbia swept the men’s and women’s team titles, becoming the first institution to do so since 2019 – also accomplished by the Thunderbirds. It was just the sixth such sweep since 1981 with the others coming from Indiana Tech in 2013 and 2014, Life (Ga.) in 2000 and Central State (Ohio) in 1993.

Men’s Recap

British Columbia’s title – its first since 2019 – followed three years being among the top-3. The Thunderbirds’ total of 74 points gave them victory by 21 points, the most on the men’s side since the 2019 UBC squad won by 27 points.

The Thunderbirds had the most men’s event wins with three – Dylan Ulrich repeating in the steeple (8:59.39 in leading a UBC 1-2 with Maximillen Filion), freshman Lowell Solmes in the 5000 race walk (20:43.77 in leading a UBC 1-2 with Tyler Wilson as both had top-10 all-time NAIA performances) and Theo Manuel in the javelin (62.45m/208-2).

Madonna (Mich.) was runner-up with 53 points to register their highest finish since tying for the 2021 crown. The Crusaders’ lone title came from Mason Darden, who won the hammer with a heave of 64.46m (211-6), farthest in the NAIA this year.

Doane (Neb.) was one five programs to win two events, with combination hurdler Zach Turner contributing both by taking the 110 highs (13.72) and 400 intermediates (51.08). The NAIA record holder in the 110s (13.52), he broke a 22-year-old meet record in the final (his 13.72 matching his previous NAIA record and now the No. =2 performance all-time) after a prelim time of 13.76 (No. =6 performance all-time). He now has seven of the 11 wind-legal sub-13.80 marks in NAIA history.

Two sophomores successfully defended their titles from last year – Barnabas Aggerh of William Carey (Miss.) in the 100 in 10.06 to equal a 33-year-old meet record and Michael Long of Ave Maria (Fla.) in the 800 in 1:49.31.

Another top performer was Bryn Woodall of Milligan (Tenn.), who PRed to win the 1500 over NAIA record holder Evert Silva of Oklahoma City, 3:41.93 to 3:42.41. Woodall, who is now No. 3 on the NAIA all-time 1500 list, also anchored the Buffs the night before to the 4×800 title in 7:30.14 over the 7:30.19 by the Stars (Woodall splitting 1:51.3 to catch and pass the 1:51.8 of Silva).

Women’s Recap

It’s now four straight for British Columbia – and their fifth in a row in meets they competed in (the Thunderbirds won in 2019 before the 2020 championship was canceled and they missed the 2021 meet due to COVID-19 restrictions).

This year’s victory came by 28 points with a 105-point total while winning six events, including Olivia Lundman’s fourth-straight in the 5000 race walk that only added to her dominance in the event. Her win in 22:22.79 broke her own meet record with the No. 3 performance in NAIA history. She now owns the top-6 performances – and nine of the top-10 – all-time.

Pole vaulter Sonya Urbanowicz’s title – her third in a row – wasn’t quite so easy. Both she and Margherita Conrad of Siena Heights (Mich.) broke the NAIA record this spring, with Conrad doing so twice and entering with the top mark at 4.22m (13-10) to break the 4.20m (13-9¼) by Urbanowicz three weeks prior. It took a jumpoff to decide things here, with both missing their first attempts (4.00m/13-1½) and then both making 3.95m/12-11½ before Urbanowicz made the next attempt at 4.00m/13-1½ and Conrad missed.

Other wins for the Thunderbirds came from Mackenzie Campbell in the 800 (2:07.55 with defending champ Rachel Mortimer of UBC also scoring), Holly MacGillivray in the 1500 (4:21.30 in defending her ’24 title after two runner-up finishes), Elyse Fleming in the steeple (10:37.21) and the 4×800 relay (a fourth-straight title in 8:57.89 with a squad that included Fleming, MacGillivray, Mortimer and Campbell).

The most wins in the meet from any athlete – male or female – came from freshman Briana Campbell of team runner-up Life (Ga.) with three.

After starting the final day as part of the Running Eagles’ runner-up 4×100 squad, Campbell won the 100 hurdles in a revenge match with two-time defending champ Salieci Myles of William Carey (Miss.). Myles had won their conference matchup with a then-NAIA record 13.22, but Campbell lowered the record a week later to 13.05 and then again here at 13.01 over Myles, who matched her best of 13.22. Campbell then turned to sprinting, winning the 100 and 200 with wind-aided times of 11.38w and 23.37w, respectively.

The other titles for Life came from Printassia Johnson, who prevented a four-peat by Praise Idamadudu of Cumberland (Tenn.), 52.46 to 54.23 in moving to No. 4 all-time NAIA before a dominating second leg on the Running Eagles’ winning 4×400 relay (3:45.29).

Another multiple winner was freshman Jaynie Halterman of Taylor (Ind.) – her double in the 10,000 (34:10.10) and 5000 (16:41.41) completed a distance triple crown after victories in cross country and the indoor 5000.

Hannah Antkoviak of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) won the 400 hurdles for the third year in a row (58.94) and the shot put victory of Sydney Duncan of IU Kokomo (Ind.) at 16.79m (55-1) strengthened her standing at No. 3 all-time NAIA.