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[Indoor Track and Field] Falcons Compete Well at NAIA National Indoor Track & Field ...

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The Friends University track and field team ended their 2014 Indoor season at the NAIA Championships this past week in Geneva, Ohio. The Falcons qualified eight athletes for the championships and came home with three school records and two of those athletes placing in the top 10 in the nation in their respective individual events.

The Falcons first took on competition in the Men's 4x800M Relay on Thursday night. The team of Brock Nooney, Jordan Umscheid, Maxwell Burley, and Mitch Heller took down the Friends University school record by multiple seconds running a final time of 7:52.17 placing them 16th in the country this season.

Next on the track was freshman from Wichita, Kansas – Angie Vailas. Vailas qualified in the 60M dash with the 11th best time in the country at 7.69 seconds. Vailas proved to be consistent as she ran that exact same time in the semi-finals which tied her school record. That time placed her 9th in the country as she missed making the finals by 1 spot (Top 8 = All-American). Dexter Davis also raced in the 60m dash just shortly after Vailas. Davis, a sophomore on the track from Morrow, Georgia ran 6.96 in the race, just missing his season best of 6.94. Davis entered the meet with the 27th best time in the country and left the meet in 17th place.

Maxwell Burley, freshman from Ponca City was next on the track for the Falcons in the open 800. Burley was the KCAC Champion in the event running a 1:57.22. Burley rose to the challenge of the championship meet running a season best by 2.5 seconds and setting a Friends Indoor school record in the event with a time of 1:54.89. His time also missed the finals by one spot. Burley came into the meet with the 40th best time in the NAIA and left in 9th place.

The Falcons finished the meet with two athletes competing on Saturday – Kaitlyn Keck in the triple jump and Rachel Renken in the 3000m. Keck, a sophomore from Haysville, Kansas was the KCAC runner-up in the triple jump with a season best jump of 10.93 meters. She entered the meet with the 32nd best jump in the country and finished the meet in 27th place as she just missed her season PR with a jump of 10.80 meters. Renken, a senior from Downs, Kansas qualified in the 3000m for the second year in a row, last year she placed 12th in the country. This season the pack went out in a blistering pace as Renken set a new mile PR during the first mile of the race! Renken entered the meet with 35th best time in the country and finished the meet in 14th place.

Head Women's Coach Cole Davis had these remarks on the team's performance. "This was truly an incredible meet for us as a team. We put a training plan together at the beginning of the year with the main goal of our athletes peaking during the championships season, and that is exactly what happened this last weekend. I couldn't be any more proud of the way our kids stepped up. Angie and Max both had tremendous races, but we can see it in their eyes that they are not satisfied by any means. Finishing 3rd as a team at the Indoor KCAC Championships left a sour taste in our mouth and our kids are eager to start the outdoor season."

Head Men's Coach, Damian Smithhisler commented on the national meet. "I'm very proud of all of our performances at nationals. A lot of times a meet on such a big stage brings with it many factors that can deter solid performances. Our athletes continued to prepare well; they didn't allow distractions or any elevated anxiety to come between them and competing at a high level. From a program standpoint, Coach Davis and I are especially proud of the growth in the team and the strides that our athletes have made to go from 2 qualifiers a year ago, to 8 this season. Success fuels success. As we transition to the outdoor season we expect this success to spill over and motivate our athletes to do even bigger things."

The Falcons began their outdoor season Thursday, March 13th at the Southwestern Invite in Winfield, Kansas.

 

2014 NAIA Indoor Championship Results

Men's 4x800M – Brock Nooney (JR), Jordan Umscheid (SO), Maxwell Burley (FR), Mitch Heller (JR)

7:52.17 – 16th Place – SCHOOL RECORD

 

Women's 60m – Angie Vailas (FR)

7.69 – 9th place – TIES SCHOOL RECORD

 

Men's 60m – Dexter Davis (SO)

6.96 – 17th place

 

Men's 800m – Maxwell Burley (FR)

1:54.89 – 9th Place – SCHOOL RECORD

 

Women's Triple Jump – Kaitlyn Keck (SO)

10.80m – 35'5.25" - 27th Place

 

Women's 3000m – Rachel Renken

10:48.35 – 14th Place



Read the full article at: www.friendsathletics.com

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