Track Cats Fare Well at Nationals
Geneva, Ohio –The Bethel University Track team competed in the 2013 NAIA Men's and Women's Track and Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio this weekend.
Bethel's Stoney Burns competed in the Long Jump and missed the finals and being an All-American by one spot. He had what Coach Brandon Kilburn believed was the longest jump in his heat on his second jump but faulted. He had faulted on his first jump making his final jump crucial to make sure he received a score that would count. He took a smart approach making sure he had a jump that would count but came up just short of the finals.
Bethel's Arielle Montague, Jessica Gray, and Julie-Anne Blanc all competed in the Open 400 meter race with only Blanc qualifying for the finals. In the finals Saturday she finished seventh, earning All American honors.
In the 200, Arielle Montague failed to make the finals by one spot. Arielle was fighting the flu the entire trip and probably would have qualified based on her previous times but was hampered with the illness. Blanc competed in the 60 Meter Dash but came up a few spots short of qualifying for the finals.
In the Triple Jump Bethel's Luke James qualified for the finals by making the Top 10 but missed All American by one spot. Luke's longest jump of the season would have been good enough to finish second in the finals but judges ruled his feet crossed the line by less than an inch negating him from being a national champion.
In the women's 4x400 Meter Relay Bethel finished 6th in the finals making them 6th in the nation and earning the four Bethel runners All American status. The team of Arielle Montague, Jessica Gray, Ronnika Garret, and Julie Blanc were 14th of 16 in qualifying, and topped ten teams to become the 6th best Indoor 4x400 Relay team in the nation.
Coach Kilburn commented on the efforts by the Lady Cats and Cats. "The team was very successful and enjoyed some great success. This type effort and confidence will provide a lot to build on heading into the outdoor track season. We are very proud of what they have accomplished this year."
Article contributed by Coach Brandon Kilburn