Men's Track and Field Repeats as GPAC Indoor Champs

Men's Track and Field posted a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) men's meet record with 220.5 team points to win their second straight conference crown. The Tigers held the previous record of 219.5 points, set in 2008.

Athletes finishing in the Top 8 of individual events or Top 3 of relay events earn All-GPAC honors for the indoor track and field season.

Zach Turner broke the GPAC meet record and tied his school record on Saturday in the 60m hurdles as he ran a time of 7.75 in the finals. Andrew Brown placed second with a time of 8.04 and Zach Fox was seventh with a time of 8.47. Turner and Brown both met the NAIA automatic qualifying standard with their times.

In the 60m dash, Devon Jackson and JaDae Moore earned All-GPAC honors. Jackson placed sixth with a time of 7.04 while Moore finished in a time of 8.74 despite an injury. 

Caleb Mulder was the lone Tiger to place in the 400m as he ran a time of 50.37 to finish second.

In the 600m, Joaquin Gutierrez placed third in a time of 1:20.48, meeting the NAIA automatic qualifying standard, while Parker Gaston took eighth with a time of 1:25.43.

Emmanuel Yego placed for the Tigers in the 800m by taking third with a time of 1:57.56.

Michael Grigsby and Will Dawes placed in the 1000m. Grigsby took second with a time of 2:32.16, meeting the NAIA provisional standard, while Dawes was fifth in a time of 2:36.00.

In the mile run, Grigsby took first place as he ran a time of 4:16.95. Porter Bickley finished sixth with a time of 4:26.63 and Thomas Oliver placed eighth with a time of 4:29.16.

Jayden Wall won the 3000m in a time of 8:47.86, running a final 200m time of 29.81 as his last three laps (34.39, 33.46, 29.81) were his fastest of the race. Bickley placed fourth in a time of 8:52.84, running a final 200m time of 31.78.

The 4x400m relay team earned points for the Tigers to close out the day's final event. The team of Gutierrez, Mulder, Gaston, and Yego ran a time of 3:26.45.

The 4x800m relay team earned All-GPAC recognition by placing third with a time of 7:57.90, meeting the NAIA provisional qualifying standard. The team consisted of Yego, Dawes, Alex Fowler, and Nate O'Brien.

In the long jump, Brian Cech took third with an NAIA automatic qualifying mark of 7.23m (23-08.75). Andrew Harms placed fifth with a mark of 6.93m (22-09.00) and Michael Willey was seventh with a distance of 6.66m (21-10.25).

Cech won the triple jump with a NAIA provisional standard mark of 14.27m (46-10.00). Brown was second with a leap of 14.09m (46-02.75).

Dylan Starr took second in the high jump with a clearance of 2.06m (6-09.00) while Carter Reckling was third with the same clearance of 2.06m. Both marks met the NAIA automatic qualifying standard as well. Jackson Kessler took fifth place with a mark of 1.98m (6-06.00) with Peyton Herrick taking sixth with a mark of 1.93m (6-04.00).

In the pole vault, Drew Garrison finished fifth with a mark of 4.30m (14-01.25). Branson McDonald finished seventh with a clearance of 4.15m (13-07.25) and Ashton Pulliam was eighth with a mark of 4.15m (13-07.25).

Andrew Schmitz placed second in the shot put for the Tigers with a throw of 15.88m (52-01.25) and Christopher Brown was third with a mark of 15.82m (51-11.00). Schmitz and Brown both hit the NAIA automatic qualifying standard. Cale Bessler met the NAIA provisional standard with a throw of 15.39m (50-06.00) and finished fourth. Colton Dillon took fifth with an NAIA provisional standard throw of 15.35m (50-04.50).

Trey Dickey won the weight throw with a toss of 19.75m (64-09.75) and Schmitz was second with a mark of 18.92m (62-01.00). Both throwers met the NAIA automatic standard. Jaden Vollenweider took fourth with a provisional qualifying throw of 18.00m (59-00.75). Tad Dimmitt placed eighth with a mark of 16.69m (54-09.25).

The heptathlon kicked off championships and Doane had three placers. Harms took second with 4,679 points while Addision Croghan finished third with 4,608 points. Zach Fye was fourth with 4,548 points.

Next up for the Tigers will be the NAIA National Championships on February 27-March 1 in Gainesville, Florida.