THREE TIGERS EARN NAIA ALL-AMERICAN FINISHES AT NAIA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Olivet Nazarene University men's and women's track & field teams took on the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships this week at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.
Three individual Tigers were named NAIA All-Americans by the end of the meet, while one women's relay earned All-American status.
The highlight event of the meet for ONU came in the women's 400m dash, where two Tigers finished as NAIA All-Americans. Hannah Antkoviak broke her own school record with a 55.11 for fourth place and Kiara Carter set a new PR of 56.23 to place seventh. The duo then teamed up with Tera Miller and Linda Griffith to break their school record in the women's 4x400-meter relay. Their time of 3:44.51 broke the mark of 3:45.06 that they set in the prelims on Thursday and was good for third place.
Max Grant was the lone NAIA All-American on the men's side. After running a 1:55.05 in the men's 800-meter run to qualify for the finals, Grant improved to a 1:54.28 to place sixth in the country. This time marks as the second-fastest time in ONU program history.
Antkoviak set a new school mark in the women's 60-meter hurdles. Her time of 8.68 shaved .08 seconds off her previous ONU record set earlier this season. This time was also good for 11th place at nationals. Linda Griffith also improved on her school record in the women's 200-meter dash. Her time of 24.54 bettered her previous mark of 25.05 set earlier this season. It also placed her ninth in the country. Kimberly Brent raced to a 25.28 in the event to place 27th while Griffith placed 12th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.72.
Vince Giuliano competed in a pair of prelims Friday, barely missing the finals in both events. He ended 9th in the 400-meter dash in 48.24 and took 10th in the 200-meter dash in 21.34. Calvin Thomas' time of 21.96 seconds was good for 27th in the latter. Noah Sears finished in a tie for 14th with a mark of 4.65 meters in the men's pole vault. Boston Brooks was 33rd in the 5000-meter run with a time of 15:52.58.
Brett Hulliberger, Chapman Neal, Erik Richter, and Max Grant combined to set a new season-best in the men's 4x800-meter relay. Their time of 7:45.83 was good for 12th place in the country.
Courtney Hall, who came into the meet ranked 22nd in the weight throw, hit a mark of 16.21 meters to place 13th in the event. Lana Krohe was 26th in the shot put with a distance of 12.44 meters. Olivia Earl finished in a tie for 21st after clearing 3.27 meters in the women's pole vault. Jacey Schickel (18:13.90) and Catherine White (18:33.82) placed 22nd and 27th, respectively, in the women's 5000-meter run.
WHAT'S NEXT
The ONU track & field teams will now turn their attention to the outdoor season, which will begin with the ONU Outdoor Open at Ward Field in Bourbonnais, Ill. on April 1.
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu