May 24, 2008

Men's Track & Field Finishes Seventh, Women 22nd At NAIA Outdoor Nationals

 
The Malone College men's track & field team posted an impressive seventh-place finish at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in St. Louis, Missouri last Thursday through Saturday while the Pioneer women took 22nd at the national event.  In addition, five individual All-America honors were recorded by the men including an incredible national title by freshman Aaron Melhorn (Fairless H.S.) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  The Pioneer men' s 4x800-meter relay team also notched an All-America finish.  For the women, two individual All-America accolades were pocketed.  In all, the total of 11 All-America honors earned by Malone athletes at this national meet were the most ever in any NAIA national meet in the history of the storied Malone track & field program (the previous record was 7 set by the 1993 men's squad at the NAIA indoor national meet; 6 had been done numerous times at the NAIA outdoor national meet). 
    
The men's team tallied 36 points for their seventh-place finish as Azusa Pacific (CA) University earned the team national championship.  Dickinson State (ND) University was second (57), Oklahoma Baptist University took third (55), Doane (NE) College placed fourth (51) and Concordia (OR) University rounded out the top five (47).
    
For the women, Malone chalked up 12 points for 22nd place as Wayland Baptist (TX) University won the women's team national title.  Simon Fraser (B.C.) University (CAN) was second (69), British Columbia (CAN) University took third (66), Azusa Pacific came in fourth (64) and Oklahoma Baptist rounded out the top five (51).
    
For the Malone men, Melhorn accomplished the rare individual national title as he won the 3000-meter steeplechase in a time of 8:56.36.  He also earned All-America honors in the 5000 meters as finished fifth in 14:39.53.
    
Ryan Kienzle (Sr., GlenOak H.S.) also earned two All-America awards at the national meet as he placed second in the 10,000 meters in 30:25.50 and third in the 5000 meters in 14:39.53.  The honors were his sixth and seventh NAIA All-America honors (including two cross country All-America awards) to close out a phenomenal Malone career.
    
By finishing sixth in the 5000 meters, Evan Gaynor (So, Delta H.S.) earned an All-America honor and also gave Malone an impressive 3-5-6 finish in the event.  Gaynor nearly earned the All-America award in the 10,000 meters but finished in eighth place in a time of 31:15.78.
     
The men's 4x800-meter relay team of Chris Cruise (Sr., Field H.S.), Nik Schweikert (Jr., Beavercreek H.S.), Mike Coates (Sr., Sandy Valley H.S.) and Chris Sinick (So., Field H.S.) set a new school record in the event on their way to an All-America finish in a time of 7:36.34.  The unit had a set a school record the day before in the preliminaries at 7:38.07 to qualify for the finals.
    
James Zeuch (Fr., Galion H.S.) finished 10th in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:23.00 while Justin Baum (Sr., Kenston H.S.) took 12th in the 10,000 meters (31:46.74).  In the 5000-meter race walk, Brad Sinick (Sr., Field H.S.) finished 10th in 26:00.32.  In the 1500 meters, Coates finished 13th in 4:03.04 while Chris Sinick was 14th in 4:06.29.
    
Justin Jump (Jr., Wellington H.S.) placed 22nd in the hammer throw (161' 8") while Garrett Oliver (So., Benjamin Logan H.S.) finished in 27th place in the 400-meter hurdles (56.12). 
    
Also, Brady West (Sr., West Muskingum H.S.) and Shane McLaughlin (So., Caldwell H.S.) both competed in day one of the decathlon but were unable to compete in day two because of injuries.
    
For the Malone women, Becky Rospotynski (So., Copley H.S.) took third place in the pole vault with a 11' 9.75" effort to earn All-America accolades while Kalie Hauenstein (So., Ashland H.S.) also earned the All-America award for the Malone women by taking sixth in the 10,000 meters (36:33.71).  Hauenstein nearly pocketed the AA honor in the 5000 meters but came up just one spot short as she placed seventh in 17:55.06.
    
Lori Ickes (Fr., Smithville H.S.) nearly captured the prestigious distinction as she finished eighth in the javelin (130' 4") while Laura McElrath (Sr., Tallmadge H.S.) was also close as she finished ninth in the heptathlon (4185 points).  Beth Costello (Fr., Canton South H.S.) and Ickes also competed in the heptathlon and placed 14th and 15th, respectively, with 3760 and 3534 points.  Ickes also competed in the discus and placed 23rd with a toss of 131' 2".
    
In the 3000-meter steeplechase, Sarah Hines (So., Northmor H.S.) and Lindsey Pifher (Fr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) finished 10th and 11th, respectively, in times of 11:21.30 and 11:22.09.  Rebekah Genter (Jr., Crestview H.S.) placed 12th in the 5000 meters in 18:12.00.  In the 3000-meter race walk, Kortney Sekulich (Jr., Smithville H.S.) placed 14th in 17:49.32.
    
In addition, Megan Patton (Jr., Perry H.S.) finished in 17th  in the 100-meter hurdles (15.09), just one spot out of qualifying for the semis, while Kristin Downing (Fr., Lake H.S.) was 18th in the 10,000 meters (38:36.17).
    
Katie Bagley (Jr., Van Wert H.S.) finished 20th in the prelims of the 5000 meters in 18:22.08 but did not qualify for the finals.  The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Kim Winton (Jr., Medina H.S.), McElrath, Patton and Vallie Scott (Jr., West Branch H.S.) finished in 14th place in the prelims in 3:57.83 but did not advance. 
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