Junior Joaquin Gutierrez passes opponent in the 4x400m.
Over the weekend, the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams traveled to Hastings, Nebraska, to compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships, where both teams walked away as GPAC Outdoor Champions for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2018.
Starting in the 100m was sophomore Neryah Hekl, who placed first with a time of 11.90, along with senior Jadae Moore, who placed third with a time of 10.87. In the 200m was junior Kat Vogt, who had a time of 24.87, which placed her second.
Taking first place in the 400m was Vogt, who had a time of 55.23, and junior Joaquin Gutierrez, who had a time of 47.51. In the 800m was junior Danie Parriott, who placed first with a time of 2:13.80, along with junior Emmanuel Yego, who had a time of 1:54.51 and placed third.
In the 1500m was junior Ashlei McDonald, who placed third with a time of 4:49.07, junior Michael Grigsby was third as well with a time of 3:56.06. Running in the 5000m was junior Nelson Ruto, who had a time of 15:17.42, which placed him third. Taking second in the 10,000m was Ruto as well, who had a time of 31:33.88.
In the 110 hurdles were senior Zach Turner, who placed first with a time of 13.77, and freshman Andrew Brown, who had a time of 14.30, which placed him second. Turner and Brown also took those same places in the 400m hurdles; Turner had a time of 49.99 and Brown had a time of 53.37. Turner broke the GPAC record in both the 110 hurdles and the 400 hurdles.
In the 4×100, the women’s team, which consisted of sophomore RaeAnn Thompson, junior Morgan Mahoney, Vogt and Hekl, had a time of 46.25, which placed them first. Also in the 4×100 was the men’s team, which consisted of sophomore Devon Jackson, Moore, freshman Ryland Garretson and Dalton Whisenhunt, who had a time of 41.29, which placed them third.
In the 4×400 relay, Gutierrez, sophomore Jonathan Zoubek, junior Caleb Mulder and Yego had a time of 3:16.40, which placed them third. Finishing up the relays was the 4×800, which consisted of Yego and juniors Will Dawes, Luke Bonifas and Grigsby, who had a time of 7:41.83, placing them second and securing an NAIA provisional mark.
In the high jump was sophomore Peyton Herrick, who had a mark of 2.01m, which placed him second, and freshman Katelynn Kratz, who had a mark of 1.61m, which placed her third. In the pole vault was sophomore Kaylee Pribyl, who placed first with a mark of 3.85m, along with senior Drew Garrison, who placed third and had a mark of 4.50m.
Katelynn Kratz jumps in the finals, where she placed third.
In the long jump was freshman Brian Cech, who had a mark of 7.10m, which placed him third. Taking first in the triple jump was junior Josie Garett, who had a mark of 11.99m. Placing second was Cech, who had a mark of 14.50m. Finishing up the triple jump was junior Rosalyn Roggasch, who had a mark of 11.52m, and freshman Kyler Nichols, who had a mark of 14.48m, which placed them both in third.
Taking first in the shot put was senior Madison Sutton, who had a mark of 14.04m. Taking third was senior Alivia Baucom, who had a mark of 13.73m, and junior Andrew Schmitz, who had a mark of 16.15m.
Sutton also took first in the discus with a mark of 48.86, with junior Christopher Brown placing second with a mark of 49.96m. Placing third in the discus was junior Cale Bessler, who had a mark of 48.10m, along with Baucom, who had a mark of 43.52m.
Walking away first in the hammer was Schmitz, who had a mark of 58.94m, alongside senior Trey Dickey, who had a mark of 57.68m, and Sutton, who had a mark of 54.51m. In third was junior Mia Knigge, who had a mark of 50.40m. Finishing up the meet was sophomore Chaney Nelson, who placed second in the heptathlon with a total of 4,306 points and senior Devin Jepson secured fifth in the decathlon with 4,883 points.
Next up, the Men’s and Women’s Track teams will be traveling to Seward, Nebraska, to compete in the Concordia Twilight.
