CEDARVILLE, OHIO— Over the weekend, our men’s and women’s track teams were busy. Both teams traveled to Cedarville, Ohio to compete in the NCCAA Indoor National Championship. The men’s team competed incredibly well finishing first of 15 teams and bringing home their second banner in two weekends. The women’s team finished in a comfortable second place position out of 14 teams.
The track athletes were on their game with the Pilots hitting eight NAIA standards, seven national championship performances, 19 All-American finishes, and a new men’s track and field record. Jordan Downs, senior, set both a program record and a NCCAA Indoor National Championship record in pole vault with a length of 5.22m. He also sent a NCCAA Indoor National Championship record with a 7.84m long jump. After all of that, Downs had the honor of being named Outstanding Indoor Athlete of the Meet—this is the second in the history of the program for Bethel.
According to the Bethel Athletics website, this is how the individuals faired in their event:
NAIA STANDARDS
Emma Jankowski | Women's 800m | 2:16.81 (A)
Jordan Downs | Men's Long Jump | 7.84m** (A)
Thomas Jackson | Men's Long Jump | 7.37m (A)
Jordan Downs | Men's Pole Vault | 5.22m* ** (A)
Zach Harrah | Men's Pole Vault | 4.92m (A)
Jordan Downs | Men's 200m | 22.17 (A)
Jonah Lester | Men's Long Jump | 6.95m (B)
Ezra Griffith | Men's Heptathlon | 4,528 pts (B)
* Bethel program record
** NCCAA Indoor Championship Record
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Women's 4x800m Relay | Vanessa Steiner, Rebecca Maynard, Molly Campbell, Mariah King
Queen Walker | Women's Weight Throw
Men's 4x800m Relay | Jalen Alexander, Bailey Mott, Jack Fisher, Trevor Miller
Ezra Griffith | Men's Heptathlon
Jordan Downs | Men's Long Jump
Travis Sperry | Men's 400m
Jordan Downs | Men's Pole Vault
ALL-AMERICAN FINISHES - WOMEN
Shot Put | Queen Walker, 3rd
4x800m Relay | Vanessa Steiner, Rebecca Maynard, Molly Campbell, Mariah King | 1st
800m | Emma Jankowski, 2nd
Weight Throw | Queen Walker, 1st | Kirsten Hentschel, 3rd
60m Hurdles | Bekah Spencer, 3rd
4x400m Relay | Leah Gouwens, Emma Jankowski, Kayla Kunkel, Alexis Jackey | 2nd
ALL-AMERICAN FINISHES - MEN
Heptathlon | Ezra Griffith, 1st | Philip Fox, 3rd
Long Jump | Jordan Downs, 1st | Thomas Jackson, 3rd
Shot Put | Richard Parker, 3rd
Pole Vault | Jordan Downs, 1st | Zach Harrah, 3rd
4x800m Relay | Jalen Alexander, Bailey Mott, Jack Fisher, Trevor Miller | 1st
60m | Corey Jones, 3rd
400m | Travis Sperry, 1st
200m | Jordan Downs, 2nd
4x400m Relay | Travis Sperry, Bailey Mott, Jack Fisher, Jonah Lester | 2nd
This is the program’s 11th NCCAA national Championship. The next step for the Pilots is the NAIA Indoor National Championship in Brookings, S.D., beginning on Thursday, Feb. 28. Good Luck Pilots!