Sports

BC Track Wins Indoor Championship

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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!  

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