Over the past three years, the Baker University track and field teams have developed a winning tradition.
For many team members, anything less than a conference championship would be a disappointment. However, the Wildcats thrived under this pressure Saturday and Sunday and emerged as the Heart of America Athletic Conference champions.
Despite unseasonably cool weather at Liston Stadium, the women’s team claimed its fourth-straight conference title in dominating fashion. The Wildcats outscored runner-up Benedictine College by 257 points and were just three points shy of breaking 400.
The Wildcats won 17 of the 23 events, and sophomore Tyler Sloan earned more points than any other competitor in the meet.
Here is a list of the women’s event champions:<br/>
• 100-meter dash: Tyler Sloan, 12.05 seconds<br/>
• 200-meter dash: Khadijah Lane, 25.91 seconds<br/>
• 400-meter dash: Khadijah Lane, 58.21 seconds<br/>
• 5,000-meter run: Megan Rosa, 18:06<br/>
• 10,000-meter run: Megan Rosa, 39:24<br/>
• 5,000-meter race walk: Lauren Breithaupt, 27:33<br/>
• 100-meter hurdles: Tyler Sloan, 13.97 seconds<br/>
• 400-meter hurdles: Tyler Sloan, 1:02.21<br/>
• 3,000-meter steeplechase: Kerry Kurta, 12:06<br/>
• 4×100-meter relay: 47.87 seconds<br/>
• 4×400-meter relay: 3:59<br/>
• 4×800-meter relay: 9:54<br/>
• Pole Vault: Katie Thurbon, 3.65 meters<br/>
• Triple Jump: Kayla Hannam, 11.44 meters<br/>
• Hammer throw: Valerie Schirmer, 47.22 meters<br/>
• Javelin throw: Stephanie Nelson, 43.21 meters<br/>
• Heptathlon: Kayla Hannam, 3978 points<br/>
The men’s team earned its fifth-straight championship by edging out the other conference teams by more than 130 points. The Wildcats won 13 event championships on their way to scoring 300 points.
Senior Jeremy Gathright accumulated more points than any other male athlete after winning four individual events and anchoring the winning 4×400-meter relay team.
Below is a list of the men’s event champions:<br/>
• 200-meter dash: Jeremy Gathright, 21.97 seconds<br/>
• 400-meter dash: Jeremy Gathright, 48.07 seconds<br/>
• 1,500-meter run: Jeremy Bryan, 4:02<br/>
• 5,000-meter run: Aaron Caldwell, 15:08<br/>
• 10,000-meter run: Aaron Caldwell, 31:30<br/>
• 3,000-meter steeplechase: Taylor Nall, 9:40<br/>
• 4×400-meter relay: 3:19<br/>
• 4×800-meter relay: 7:53<br/>
• Long jump: Jeremy Gathright, 7.14 meters<br/>
• Triple jump: Jeremy Gathright, 14.96 meters<br/>
• Shot put: Clayton Hill, 14.39 meters<br/>
• Hammer throw: Joe Naughton, 49.08 meters<br/>
• Javelin throw: Cody Viergever, 57.46 meters<br/>
The conference named head coach Zach Kindler as the Men’s Coach of the Year and the Co-Women’s Coach of the Year alongside Benedictine head coach Darin Schmitz.
