ONU TRACK & FIELD SWEEPS CCAC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University track & field teams completed the 2023 sweep of the conference championships after winning the CCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend.
The ONU women totaled 280 points to finish first out of seven teams, while the Tiger men racked up 268 points to take the top spot out of eight teams. ONU track & field teams won all four indoor and outdoor conference team titles in the 2023 season.
In addition to the team glory, Hannah Antkoviak was named the Female Outstanding Track Performer of the meet while Head Coach Kyle Rago was recognized as the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year by the CCAC. In total, ONU won 17 of the 43 events at the CCAC Championships with 14 Tigers finishing as individual conference champions.
Antkoviak led the women with a pair of individual conference titles, finishing first in both the 100m hurdles (13.68) and the 400m dash (54.57), setting a new CCAC record in the latter. She also finished runner-up in the 200-meter dash (25.00). Antkoviak was joined on the podium by Kiara Carter in the 400m dash, placing third at 57.62. Carter also placed fifth in 100m dash (12.37) and sixth in the 200m dash (25.67). Kimberly Brent had a strong weekend, as well, finishing runner-up in the 100m dash (11.91).
Brent and Carter teamed up with Tera Miller and Olivia Stirrup to bring home a title in the 4x100m relay, finishing first with a time of 46.88. ONU was the runner-up in the other two relays, placing second in the 4x400m relay (4:02.09) and 4x800m relay (9:54.76).
Kathryn Swanson and Thaliya Martinez paced the Tigers in the distance events. Swanson won a conference title in the 3000m steeplechase (13.01.92) while Martinez was the conference champion in the 10,000m run with a time of 43:56.26. Mary Farhat was third in the latter (44:27.52). Eleanor Fournier and Jacey Schickel placed second (18:20.03) and third (18:26.20), respectively, in the 5000m run. Emma Betts took second in the 400m hurdles (1:06.34).
Avery Spencer and Olivia Earl both won conference titles in the women's field events. Spencer hit a mark of 36.33m to win the javelin while Earl cleared 3.25m in the pole vault. Tori Orton found the podium with a third-place finish in the javelin (32.26) Jolene Mantoan was the runner-up in the triple jump, launching to a makr of 11.44m..
Kayla Mikottis was the runner-up in the discus with a throw of 44.96m. Sarah Schoonmaker was third (43.88m) and Courtney Hall was fourth (42.42m). ONU went 2-3-4 in the shot put and hammer, as well. Lana Krohe was the runner-up in the shot put at 12.90m while Schoonmaker and Hall placed third (12.54m) and fourth (12.13m), respectively. Hall then placed second in the hammer (43.79), Elizabeth Treadway took the bronze (43.33m), and Mikottis placed fourth (42.80m).
On the men's side, five Tigers were crowned individual conference champions. Vince Giuliano picked up a pair of individual titles on the track, besting the field in 200m dash (21.49) and 400m dash (47.25), setting a new CCAC record in the latter. Calvin Thomas completed the ONU sweep of the sprints by winning the 100m dash, blitzing to a time of 10.52. Andrew Hudson found the podium in the 100m and 200m dashes, placing runner-up in the former (10.61) and third in the latter (22.26).
Taylor Vallangeon, the reigning CCAC individual cross country champion, picked up a title in the meet's longest distance event. He crossed the finish line in 32:24.09 to win the 10,000m run, besting the field by over 30 seconds. Max Grant placed second in the 800m run with a time of 1:53.63.
ONU put the finishing touches on the track by sweeping the relays at the CCAC Championships. Nathan Domont, Giuliano, Thomas, and Jalen Dunnigan set a conference record in the 4x100m relay after busting out a 41.33. Conner Betts, Grant, Jonathan Thomas, and Giuliano finished first in the 4x400m relay at 3:20.09. Grant, Joey Puccillo, Chapman Neal, and Mabaraka Mmbumba won the 4x800m relay with a time of 7:54.73.
Brody Vollrath and Ivan Williams led the Tigers in the field events. Vollrath notched a mark of 56.40m to win the javelin while Williams picked up a pair of individual titles at the CCAC Championships. He launched to a mark of 7.17m to win the long jump and won the triple jump with a mark of 14.13m. Braden Kehr was the runner-up in the javelin while Ian Hallom placed third in the triple (13.58m).
Noah Sears collected a runner-up placement in the pole vault after clearing 4.55m. Hallom, Jackson Wade, and Grant all clread 1.85m to place second through fourth, respectively, in the high jump.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tigers will get a final chance to qualify as many as possible for the national meet at the USF Fighting Saints Last Chance on May 12-13 in Joliet, Ill.
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu