Bison Win NCCAA National Championship

HOUGHTON, N.Y. – (Final Results) Oklahoma Baptist repeated as national champions Saturday at the NCCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field National Championship.
 
The Bison finished with 154.5 points at the Kerr-Pegula Field House, overtaking runner-up Bethel (Ind.) at 142.5. Dallas Baptist finished third with 106 points. OBU trailed Bethel by 7.5 points midway through the meet.
 
It was the second straight national championship for the Bison in just their second year competing in the NCCAA. This marks the sixth national championship for the men's track and field program, and the fifth under the direction of head coach Ford Mastin.
 
"It was really a great team effort. We had several things go right for us over the two days," said Mastin. "We had a lot of really great performances from some of our guys that we needed to set up. It is great to win."
 
Oklahoma Baptist placed first in three events, set two facility records, and 19 athletes earned All-America status in 25 events.
 
"There was something special with the guys, knowing they needed to do great to win, and they did it. They competed hard," said Mastin. "They really came together these last two months and showed they could perform under pressure."
 
Devontrae Young won the 200 meters in 22.03, setting a new facility record in the process.
 
Matthew Giudice took fifth in the 400 meters in 49.97.
 
Carolos James finished second in the 800 meters, running the finals in a time of 1:56.17.
 
Two Bison scored in the mile, paced by Nathan Crowson in second place with a time of 4:22.77. Garrett Elmore finished eighth in 4:36.13.
 
Jacob Janzen finished the 3000 meters in 8:42.68, taking third place, and was second in the 5000 meters with a time of 5:29.22. Blaine Whitson was in seventh place in the 3000 at 9:05.07, and finished third in the 5000 in 5:32.09.
 
OBU dominated the 60 meter hurdles, taking four of the top six spots. Christopher Walker (8.44) finished second, Cayden Spain (8.49) took third place, Brandon Crowley (8.56) was fourth, and Dakota Kappelle (8.76) came in sixth place.
 
A team of Young, Crowley, Clayton Honeycutt, and Kappelle took third in the 4x200 meter relay in 1:29.84.
 
Giudice, Honeycutt, Young, and James finished fifth in the 4x400 meter relay in 3:23.75.
 
Sam Smith, DeAngelo Robles, Elmore, and Thomas Uglean were runners-up in the distance medley relay.
 
Hayden Ashley won the heptathlon with a facility-record 4935 points. He was also seventh in the high jump at 1.83 meters.
 
Andrew Worley finished second in the heptathlon with 4826 points. Worley tied for fifth in the high jump with a height of 1.83 meters and took sixth in the long jump at a distance of 6.52 meters.
 
Kolten Speaks scored in the heptathlon, finishing eighth with a score of 3893.
 
Spencer Lashley was crowned champion in the pole vault Friday with a height of 4.52 meters. Ashley finished runner-up at 4.42, and Luke Cusack took sixth at 4.12 meters.
 
Jacob Cochran was third in the shot put at 14.50 meters.
 
The Bison have earned a total of three indoor track and field national championships in program history, including a win at the NAIA level in 2013.
 

NCCAA MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-AMERICA
ATHLETE	EVENT
Hayden Ashley	Heptathlon, Pole Vault
Jacob Cochran	Shot Put
Brandon Crowley	4x200m Relay
Nathan Crowson	Mile, DMR
Garrett Elmore	4x800m Relay
Matthew Giudice	DMR
Clayton Honeycutt	4x200m Relay
Carlos James	DMR
Jacob Janzen	3000m, 5000m
Dakota Kappelle	4x200m Relay
Spencer Lashley	Pole Vault
DeAngelo Robles	800m, 4x800m Relay, DMR
Sam Smith	4x800m Relay
Cayden Spain	60m Hurdle
Thomas Uglean	4x800m Relay
Christopher Walker	60m Hurdle
Blaine Whitson	5000m
Andrew Worley	Heptathlon
Devontrae Young	200m, 4x200m Relay