Oklahoma Baptist, long one of the NAIA’s premiere men’s track teams, won its first NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships since 1990.
The OBU women finished third among 61 teams to score points at the meet with 55 points – 18 back of national champion Azusa Pacific.
The Bison finished with 77 points, 19 ahead of runner-up Dickinson State at 58.
The win was a hard one to come by, as OBU does not have its own track due to construction.
“We really felt like back in September this would be worth it,” said OBU Coach Ford Mastin, who was named 2007 NAIA Men’s Coach of the Year. “All those trips to Tecumseh and running on the soccer field was worth it. I’m just proud that our guys didn’t give up.”
OBU scored 16 points in the men’s 400 hurdles where Ross Harlan took the national title in 50.99 seconds. Lamar Baskin – already an All-American in the 110 hurdles, took third in the 400 hurdles at 51.65.
Michael Rodgers, who won the 100 meters on Friday, finished second in the 200 meters in 20.95, one one-hundredth of a second behind Tyrell Cuffy of King College. Rodgers finished as Co-Outstanding Performer of the Meet.
OBU won the 4x100 relay in 40.32 seconds using Baskin, B.J. Bashorun, Dominique Matthews and Rodgers.
“Michael Rodgers just had a great meet,” Mastin said.
The men’s 4x400 relay team of Derek Nettles, James Hall, Harlan and T.J. Lightsey captured third in 3:09.786.
Durrell Williams scored for the Bison in the 800 meters, taking eighth in 1:53.01.
Theron Stoltzfus just missed scoring in the 5000 meters, taking ninth in the finals at 15:19.29. Justin Stroup did not score in the men’s 1500 final, placing 12th at 4:18.39.
All of that almost didn’t matter, as the Bison gambled and lost in the 4x800 relay on Thursday.
“I ran some young guys and it didn’t turn out how we wanted,” Mastin said. “But Theron Stoltzfus picked us up with a fifth in the 10,000 and Jonathan Hilton went ctrazy and got second in the decathlon. That picked us up.”
OBU finished the meet with a national title in the 4x400 relay as Amanda Mayfield, Optimum Baker, Kyli Bean and Sherene Pinnock captured the championship with a 3:39.96.
A big blow for the OBU women came in the 400 hurdles, where Sherene Pinnock, who was ranked No. 1 with a world Top 20 time, was unable to finish the race after crashing and staying down. OBU had to settle for a one-point surprise from 20th-ranked Optimum Baker, who took eighth in 1:03.91.
Pinnock recovered enough and took second in the 400 meters at 53.16 just moments later.
Amanda Mayfield won the 800 meters in 2:09.44, while Kyli Bean was third at 2:11.11, giving the Lady Bison 16 points in the event.
The Lady Bison took second in the 4x100 relay by 1/100th of a second as Mayfield, Aletha Hubbard, Ebonique Wilson and Pinnock ran a 46.22.
Michelle Carpenter picked up All-America honors in the high jump, placing fifth at 5-7.
“The girls had some near misses that kept them from winning it all,” Mastin said. “It’s just that the guys are deeper. The three men’s relays are 12 guys and the three women’s relays are six girls.”
In addition to five event championships, OBU had 19 different athletes claim 32 All-America awards by finishing in the top six in their events.
OBU Results
MEN
4x100 relay: 1. OBU (Lamar Baskin, B.J. Bashorun, Dominique Matthews, Mike Rodgers), 40.32
100 meters: 1. Mike Rodgers, 10.21
400 hurdles: 1. Ross Harlan, 50.99; 3. Lamar Baskin, 51.65
4x400 Relay: 3. OBU (Derek Nettles, James Hall, Ross Harlan, T.J. Lightsey), 3:09.786.
200 meters: 2. Mike Rodgers, 20.95; 4. Dominique Matthews, 21.35; 10. B.J. Bashorun, 21.99
Decathlon: 2. Jonathan Hilton, 6633 points
110m Hurdles: 2. Lamar Baskin, 14.21
10,000m: 5. Theron Stoltzfus, 31:22.54; 9. 32:23.54
800 meters: 8. Durrell Williams, 1:53.01
5000 meters: 9. Theron Stoltzfus, 15:19.29
1500 meters: 12. Justin Stroup, 4:18.39
Hammer: 27. John Armstrong, 154-9
Team Scores: 1. Oklahoma Baptist, 77; 2. Dickinson State, 58; 3. Azusa Pacific, 51; 4. McKendree, 49; 5. Doane, 46; 6. Virginia Intermont, 39; 7. King, 35; 8. St. Gregory’s, 29; 8 (tie) Concordia (Calif.), 29; 10. Cedarville, 28.
WOMEN
4x400 relay: 1. OBU (Amanda Mayfield, Optimum Baker, Kyli Bean, Sherene Pinnock), 3:39.96
800 meters: 1. Amanda Mayfield, 2:09.44; 3. Kyli Bean, 2:11.11
4x100 relay: 2. OBU (Amanda Mayfield, Aletha Hubbard, Ebonique Wilson, Sherene Pinnock), 46.22
400 meters: 2. Sherene Pinnock, 53.16
Women’s 3200m Relay: 2. Shayna Legg, Kisha Gaspard, Kyli Bean, Amanda Mayfield, 8:55.97
High Jump: 5. Michelle Carpenter, 5-7
400 hurdles: 8. Optimum Baker, 1:03.91
200 meters: 14. Aletha Hubbard, 25.37
Heptathlon: 16. Jessica Haynes, 3646 points
Women’s Triple Jump: 20. Abby Lewis, 36-0.25
Team Scores: 1. Azusa Pacific, 73; 2. Cedarville, 58; 3. Oklahoma Baptist 55; 4. Wayland Baptist 54; 5. Simon Fraser, 47; 6. Fresno Pacific, 39; 7. Olivet Nazarene, 37; 8 (Tie) Goshen, 30; 8 (tie). Point Loma Nazarene, 30; 10. Aquinas, 28.
The OBU women finished third among 61 teams to score points at the meet with 55 points – 18 back of national champion Azusa Pacific.
The Bison finished with 77 points, 19 ahead of runner-up Dickinson State at 58.
The win was a hard one to come by, as OBU does not have its own track due to construction.
“We really felt like back in September this would be worth it,” said OBU Coach Ford Mastin, who was named 2007 NAIA Men’s Coach of the Year. “All those trips to Tecumseh and running on the soccer field was worth it. I’m just proud that our guys didn’t give up.”
OBU scored 16 points in the men’s 400 hurdles where Ross Harlan took the national title in 50.99 seconds. Lamar Baskin – already an All-American in the 110 hurdles, took third in the 400 hurdles at 51.65.
Michael Rodgers, who won the 100 meters on Friday, finished second in the 200 meters in 20.95, one one-hundredth of a second behind Tyrell Cuffy of King College. Rodgers finished as Co-Outstanding Performer of the Meet.
OBU won the 4x100 relay in 40.32 seconds using Baskin, B.J. Bashorun, Dominique Matthews and Rodgers.
“Michael Rodgers just had a great meet,” Mastin said.
The men’s 4x400 relay team of Derek Nettles, James Hall, Harlan and T.J. Lightsey captured third in 3:09.786.
Durrell Williams scored for the Bison in the 800 meters, taking eighth in 1:53.01.
Theron Stoltzfus just missed scoring in the 5000 meters, taking ninth in the finals at 15:19.29. Justin Stroup did not score in the men’s 1500 final, placing 12th at 4:18.39.
All of that almost didn’t matter, as the Bison gambled and lost in the 4x800 relay on Thursday.
“I ran some young guys and it didn’t turn out how we wanted,” Mastin said. “But Theron Stoltzfus picked us up with a fifth in the 10,000 and Jonathan Hilton went ctrazy and got second in the decathlon. That picked us up.”
OBU finished the meet with a national title in the 4x400 relay as Amanda Mayfield, Optimum Baker, Kyli Bean and Sherene Pinnock captured the championship with a 3:39.96.
A big blow for the OBU women came in the 400 hurdles, where Sherene Pinnock, who was ranked No. 1 with a world Top 20 time, was unable to finish the race after crashing and staying down. OBU had to settle for a one-point surprise from 20th-ranked Optimum Baker, who took eighth in 1:03.91.
Pinnock recovered enough and took second in the 400 meters at 53.16 just moments later.
Amanda Mayfield won the 800 meters in 2:09.44, while Kyli Bean was third at 2:11.11, giving the Lady Bison 16 points in the event.
The Lady Bison took second in the 4x100 relay by 1/100th of a second as Mayfield, Aletha Hubbard, Ebonique Wilson and Pinnock ran a 46.22.
Michelle Carpenter picked up All-America honors in the high jump, placing fifth at 5-7.
“The girls had some near misses that kept them from winning it all,” Mastin said. “It’s just that the guys are deeper. The three men’s relays are 12 guys and the three women’s relays are six girls.”
In addition to five event championships, OBU had 19 different athletes claim 32 All-America awards by finishing in the top six in their events.
OBU Results
MEN
4x100 relay: 1. OBU (Lamar Baskin, B.J. Bashorun, Dominique Matthews, Mike Rodgers), 40.32
100 meters: 1. Mike Rodgers, 10.21
400 hurdles: 1. Ross Harlan, 50.99; 3. Lamar Baskin, 51.65
4x400 Relay: 3. OBU (Derek Nettles, James Hall, Ross Harlan, T.J. Lightsey), 3:09.786.
200 meters: 2. Mike Rodgers, 20.95; 4. Dominique Matthews, 21.35; 10. B.J. Bashorun, 21.99
Decathlon: 2. Jonathan Hilton, 6633 points
110m Hurdles: 2. Lamar Baskin, 14.21
10,000m: 5. Theron Stoltzfus, 31:22.54; 9. 32:23.54
800 meters: 8. Durrell Williams, 1:53.01
5000 meters: 9. Theron Stoltzfus, 15:19.29
1500 meters: 12. Justin Stroup, 4:18.39
Hammer: 27. John Armstrong, 154-9
Team Scores: 1. Oklahoma Baptist, 77; 2. Dickinson State, 58; 3. Azusa Pacific, 51; 4. McKendree, 49; 5. Doane, 46; 6. Virginia Intermont, 39; 7. King, 35; 8. St. Gregory’s, 29; 8 (tie) Concordia (Calif.), 29; 10. Cedarville, 28.
WOMEN
4x400 relay: 1. OBU (Amanda Mayfield, Optimum Baker, Kyli Bean, Sherene Pinnock), 3:39.96
800 meters: 1. Amanda Mayfield, 2:09.44; 3. Kyli Bean, 2:11.11
4x100 relay: 2. OBU (Amanda Mayfield, Aletha Hubbard, Ebonique Wilson, Sherene Pinnock), 46.22
400 meters: 2. Sherene Pinnock, 53.16
Women’s 3200m Relay: 2. Shayna Legg, Kisha Gaspard, Kyli Bean, Amanda Mayfield, 8:55.97
High Jump: 5. Michelle Carpenter, 5-7
400 hurdles: 8. Optimum Baker, 1:03.91
200 meters: 14. Aletha Hubbard, 25.37
Heptathlon: 16. Jessica Haynes, 3646 points
Women’s Triple Jump: 20. Abby Lewis, 36-0.25
Team Scores: 1. Azusa Pacific, 73; 2. Cedarville, 58; 3. Oklahoma Baptist 55; 4. Wayland Baptist 54; 5. Simon Fraser, 47; 6. Fresno Pacific, 39; 7. Olivet Nazarene, 37; 8 (Tie) Goshen, 30; 8 (tie). Point Loma Nazarene, 30; 10. Aquinas, 28.