York College
photo by Bob DeHart
Athletics Repeat All-American Indoor track provides season for athletes
E
ven though the outdoor track and field season never got out of the starting blocks, the indoor season was highlighted by great individual and team efforts alike under ninth-year head coach Justin Carver. The Panthers had a solid weekend at the KCAC Indoor Championships where the women finished third overall as a team and the men finished eighth. The women were led by several Panthers as Bri Eckerberg (JR/Gering, NE) picked up the only top finish with an NAIA Indoor qualifying mark in the shot put with her throw of 44’ 6”. Brianna Florvilus (SO/Dunnellon, FL) was all over the meet with solid finishes that included second in the 400-meter dash (58.75), third in the 200-meter dash (25.60), fifth in the 60-meter dash (7.96), and fifth in the long jump Eckerberg (17’). Blessing Osueke (JR/Houston, TX) finished in second place in the long jump (17’ 7”) and fifth in the triple jump (34’ 8.25”). Sadie Carr (SO/Henderson, NE) took third in the pole vault (9’ 3”). The women’s 4x400 and 4x800 relays each finished third with times of 4:16.45 and 10:10.37 respectively. Mackenzie Grauberger (SR/ Prescott, AZ), Osueke, Maria Geesaman (SO/Greeley, CO), and Hannah Rohda (SR/Omaha, NE) were on the 4x400 team, and the 4x800 team consisted of Geesaman, Grauberger, Rohda, and Katrina Murdock (JR/ San Bernardino, CA). Geesaman finished fourth in the 1000 meter run (3:13.51), and the distance medley relay consisting of Murdock, Carr, Connie Nickell (JR/Clackamas, OR), and Hannah DeHart (FR/York, NE) finished sixth overall. On the men’s side, Carter Price (SR/Rapid City, SD) was the top individual finisher with a secondplace finish in the 200-meter dash (22.28) and fourth in the 60-meter dash (6.98). The men’s 4x400 relay team of Price, Sheyi Ajiboye (SR/Houston, TX), Ian Meek (JR/Montrose, CO), and Kyle Wynn (SR/ Waukegan, IL) finished third with a time of 3:25.02, and Meek finished fourth in the 800-meter run (1:59.84). The 4x800 relay team of Meek, Wynn, Joe Price Ruffcorn (JR/Basehor, KS), and Hosea Kiptoo (SO/ Rift Valley, Kenya) finished in sixth place (8:25.40), and Jarod Belden (FR/Ontario, CA) took seventh in the high jump (5’ 11.25”). At the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, SD, Price ran a personal best in the 400-meter finals (47.81) and took the All-American podium with 6th place. Eckerberg’s shot throw (43’ 9.75”) and Florvilus’ 400-meter dash (57.31) just missed out on AllAmerican status with their ninth-place finishes. Osueke jumped 17’ 2” in the long jump which was good enough for 20th. n
24 | Heritage | SUMMER 2020
Two-time NAIA All-American Carter Price gives it all he has during the Concordia University Classic. (above)
The women took third at the KCAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Wichita, Kan. (above) Chad Karcher, Tori Schindler, Dennis Leinen, and Matthew Madole pose with the new AEDs. (below)
