OBU Earns Two Individual GAC Titles on Day One

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist men's and women's track and field teams got off to a blazing start on day one at the 2021 Great American Conference Championships Thursday. The Bison earned two conference titles and multiple top-three finishes while taking an early lead in the team competitions, with the men accumulating 20 points and the women 29 points on just the first day of action.
 
OBU swept the men's and women's 10,000 kilometer runs with Jana Le Roux and Christian Arenivar both earning top marks. Le Roux finished with a time of 38:09.59, beating teammate Allison Derry by 14.48 seconds. Arenivar took down Jackson Purim of Harding, winning the men's event with a time of 31:29.18.
 
Hayden Ashley and Zane Nutter took an early advantage in the men's decathlon. Ashley currently sits in first with 3,580 points, winning the decathlon's long jump and shot put. Nutter follows in second (3,391), after claiming first in the 400 meter run and high jump. Still to come for the multi are the 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 meter run.
 
Elizabeth Jones is currently holding onto second in the women's heptathlon, placing first in the 200 meter run and third in the 100 meter hurdles. Jones has a current total of 2,656 points, only 263 points away from first-place Darcy Sanford of Harding.
 
Other notable finishes for the Bison on Thursday included Emma Downing, who finished third in the 10k, and Saleem Fadel, who placed third in the men's hammer throw.
 
OBU will begin the second day of competition on Friday, April 16, at 9 a.m. Events include discus, javelin, long jump, 3,000 meter steeplechase, and the conclusion of the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon.

Live scoring and video is available by clicking the links above.