INDIANAPOLIS – Three Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) student-athletes captured national titles while 21 standouts earned a total of 26 All-America accolades last week at the 2015 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, held March 13-14 at the Birmingham CrossPlex, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Additionally, two men’s teams finished in the top 10 for the first time in conference history, while two women’s teams placed in the top 20 for the first time since the GLVC had a pair accomplish the feat over a five-year span from 2004-08.
Lewis University senior Rebecca Priesler and junior jumper Isaac Jean-Paul won national championships in the women’s pole vault and men’s high jump, respectively, while University of Southern Indiana junior distance specialist Tyler Pence took home the NCAA title in the men’s 5,000 meters, just ahead of teammate Johnnie Guy and Lewis senior Andrew McLain.
In what was arguably the greatest night in GLVC track and field history, all three national championships were earned on Friday, March 13, which included the 1-2-3 finish in the men’s 5,000m.
Priesler became the first Flyer in 17 years to win the national title after breaking her own school record with a vault of 4.10m (13’5 ¼”), besting her previous standard of 3.80m (12’5 ½”) set earlier this season. She is the first Lewis women's indoor national champion since Magdalena Paszta won the 1-mile run in 1998. Not counting former member SIU Edwardsville’s winning 1,600-meter relay team in 2008, only three individual national championships had been earned at the indoor meet by a GLVC standout, with the most recent coming in 2006 when the University of Indianapolis’ Andrea Horban won the women’s shot put.
Jean-Paul captured the title with a leap of 2.21m (7'3"), besting his previous record of 2.19m (7'2 1/4") set earlier this season. He is the first Flyer indoor national champion since Mark Zilch captured the pole vault championship in 2005.
Pence, who garnered his fourth-career All-America award, crossed the finish line in 14 minutes, 13.33 seconds, while Guy finished in 14:16.33. It’s the first time in school history USI has had a 1-2 finish in a national championship event, and Pence is the fifth Screaming Eagle to ever win a national title in the sport.
The two men’s titles are the sixth and seventh national crowns won by GLVC student-athletes at Indoors, with the last coming from UIndy’s Ryan Smith in the shot put at the 2013 NCAA meet. This is the first time the GLVC has ever had two individual when national championships at a single meet.
In the team standings, Southern Indiana (25 points) led the conference contingent in seventh place, followed by Lewis (24) in a tie for eighth. The University of Indianapolis (4) and McKendree University (4) were the only other GLVC men’s teams to score points, finishing in a tie for 38th.
Last year five men’s teams scored points at the national meet, however the top two teams placed 13th (Southern Indiana) and 25th (Indianapolis).
The Lewis women’s team scored 19 points to finish tied for 11th overall, while Bellarmine University (12) placed tied for 19th. Southern Indiana scored one point to tie for 54th.
Last year two teams – Missouri S&T (4) and Indianapolis (1) – combined to total five points at the national meet and the Lady Miners’ 38th-place finish was the best for the GLVC in three years. Lewis’ 11th-place result this year is the GLVC’s best since SIU Edwardsville finished fourth at the 2008 NCAA Indoors.
All but five of the 26 GLVC student-athletes who competed this past week earned All-America distinction for their efforts. Student-athletes earned first-team U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America honors by virtue of finishing among the top eight in their events, including as a member of a relay. For the first time, second-team honors were bestowed upon those finishing ninth through 12th.
Below is a complete list of the GLVC’s 21 competitors and their 26 All-Americans honors:
|
MEN |
Event |
Finish (All-America Team) |
|
Tim Lovejoy, Indianapolis |
Weight Throw |
5th (1st) |
|
Andre Barnes, Lewis |
400m |
8th (1st) |
|
Adam Barr, Lewis |
Weight Throw |
4th (1st) |
|
Isaac Jean-Paul, Lewis |
High Jump |
1st (1st) |
|
Andrew McLain, Lewis |
3,000m/5,000m |
7th (1st)/3rd (1st) |
|
CJ James, McKendree |
60m |
5th (1st) |
|
Johnnie Guy, Southern Indiana |
3,000m/5,000m |
6th (1st)/2nd (1st) |
|
Tyler Pence, Southern Indiana |
3,000m/5,000m |
5th (1st)/1st (1st) |
|
|
|
|
|
WOMEN |
Event |
Finish (All-America Team) |
|
Cain Chandler, Bellarmine |
4x400m Relay (1) |
2nd (1st) |
|
Meghan Roby, Bellarmine |
4x400m Relay (2) |
2nd (1st) |
|
Amanda Schnabel, Bellarmine |
4x400m Relay (3) |
2nd (1st) |
|
Meghan Jones, Bellarmine |
4x400m Relay (4)/400m |
5th (1st)/2nd (1st) |
|
Kristen Bonsor, Lewis |
Distance Medley Relay (1) |
12th (2nd) |
|
Amy Polhemus, Lewis |
Distance Medley Relay (2) |
12th (2nd) |
|
Zoe Mead, Lewis |
Distance Medley Relay (3) |
12th (2nd) |
|
Amanda Farrough, Lewis |
Distance Medley Relay (4)/3,000m |
12th (2nd)/5th (1st) |
|
Rebecca Preisler, Lewis |
Pole Vault |
1st (1st) |
|
Chantel Stennis, Lewis |
400m |
4th (1st) |
|
Elizabeth Kiblinger, Maryville |
5,000m |
12th (2nd) |
|
Skylair Hilton, Southern Indiana |
5,000m |
9th (2nd) |
|
Julia Kohnen, Southern Indiana |
5,000m |
8th (1st) |