Salina, Kan. – The Friends University Men's Falcons posted a third-place finish at the KCAC Championship at JRI Stadium in Salina, Kan., while the Women's Falcons came away with a fourth-place result.
Evangel University won on the men's side, with Ottawa University capturing the top prize for the women.
Aaliyah Ramirez got the final day started hot with a championship win in the Pole Vault, setting a meet record (3.65m) and nailing another NAIA B Standard. Brynna Halata also secured a top three finish in the event for Friends.
Anya Walton then put some fuel on the fire for the Falcons with a massive victory in the Triple Jump, setting a meet record of her own and hitting the NAIA A Standard with a spectacular jump of 12.27m.
The good times (and wins) kept rolling as Tiyna Ridge blazed through the 100 Meters with a victory and a meet and school record time of 11.55.
The Men's Triple Jump was all Falcons, with Carter Giittinger (14.54m) and Mikkel Tarver (14.50m) securing the top two spots. Giittinger (4.55m) also recorded a runner-up showing in the Pole Vault, followed by Jaden Harris (4.25m) and Jesus Bey (4.25) right behind in third and fourth, respectively.
The 4 X 100 relays were extremely good for the Falcons, as the men's team of Giittinger, Tarver, Daniel Castillo and Eddy Rachedi (41.45) won the KCAC title, while the women's squad that consisted of Valeria Crespo, Rhianna Hill, Haidyn Thompson and Ridge (46.82) pulled out a runner-up finish and hit the NAIA B Standard.
In the finals of the Women's 100m Hurdles, Gabriela Millan (14.69) and Irian Padulles (14.70) came in second and third for the Falcons, while Tyson Wallace (14.98) finished second and Giittinger (15.09) wound up fourth in the 110m Hurdles on the men's side.
That wasn't all for Wallace (57.11), as he also came in second in the 400m Hurdle event, with Spencer Hines (57.91) finishing fourth for the Falcons.
The 400 Meter run was big for Rachedi, who posted a runner-up finish of 48.18 that is a new school record and PR.
After winning her third straight conference title in the Hammer Throw, Abby Green recorded a top three finish and PR (39.27m) in the Discus throw.
To wrap up the event, the Falcon Men team of Daniel Castello, Chad Payne, Hines and Rachedi (3:18.37) recorded a runner-up finish in the 4 X 400 relay, while Gema del Valle, Naomi Vagher, Fien Molenberg and JaNiya Glass (4:01.14) helped the Falcons come in third in the women's event.
Off the track, Hines and Ridge were named the Falcon Outdoor Track & Field Champions of Character.
The Falcons are next scheduled to compete in a last chance meet prior to the NAIA National Championships on May 21-23 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.
Friends track & field head coach Henry Brun on the Falcons' performances this week at the KCAC Championship
"We had an amazing weekend at the KCAC meet. This team continues to raise the bar each season, and this year was truly a historic one. Not only did we have 33 lifetime best performances and an additional 10 season best marks this weekend, but there were 27 performances that were Top-10 on the Friends All-Time list, three new school records, three KCAC meet records, and one KCAC All-Time Record broken.
We fought from start to finish this weekend. I was really proud of the energy and support that our team gave to one another, through the great performances and also the ones that just missed the mark. This conference keeps getting more competitive each year, and it's great to see that we have continued to grow with it and stay in the team title conversation.
We sent our senior group off with a memorable weekend, showing that their investment into this program has led to creating an environment much stronger than when they came in - that is the true definition of leadership. I know our seniors are confident in handing the keys of the program to our next group of upperclassmen.
The grind of the spring only has three weeks left. We have a last-chance meet this upcoming Friday to see if we can punch a couple more tickets to NAIA Nationals and add to the 12 national qualifiers we already have. I am excited to see how we finish this season."
KCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship Results
Day 1 Recap
