WICHITA, Kan. – It had been exactly 10 years since the Friends University Falcon Men hoisted the KCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship banner, but that all changed tonight (May 1) as head coach Henry Brun's Falcons raised the banner after outpacing the University of Saint Mary Spires 175 points to 154.50. The Falcon Women were also solid both days and posted a runner-up finish with 166 points, behind only Saint Mary's 179 points.
The championship continues sustained momentum for both programs, as the Men's Falcons also claimed the 2025-26 KCAC Indoor Track & Field Championship in February and the Women's Falcons finished second.
The accolades included Brun being named the Men's Coach of the Year and K'Ron Sherald earning Women's Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
The Falcons first championship on the second day of competition was in the Men's 4 X 100 relay, with the team of Carter Giittinger, Eddy Rachedi, Daniel Castello and Pius Vokes hitting a meet record time of 41.10. The time is second only to the school record mark the squad set earlier this season at the ESU Relays (Apr. 16).
Another meet record would fall a short time later, as Tiyna Ridge ran 11.37 in the Women's 100 meters to capture the KCAC Championship. Later, the Edmond, Okla. native put a bow on her night and won a terrific race with a school and meet record time of 23.66 in the 200 meter event, just holding off Roy'Janae Brown of Ottawa at 23.80. Ridge and Brown now hold the first and second fastest times in meet history.
Fien Molenberg put another championship in the Falcons' column with a victory in the Women's 800 meters, running a winning time of 2:17.00.
The Men's 400 meter run was extremely beneficial to the Falcons, with Castello taking the top prize with a PR run of 48.60, while Marcus London followed close behind with a PR of his own (48.66).
Capping the night and the championship meet was another championship in the Women's 4 X 400 Relay. The team of Lilliana Robinson, Lydia Robinson, Naomi Vagher and Molenberg won with a time of 3:53.66. The Falcons trailed early but made up ground throughout, culminating with a great final leg and pass by Molenberg to win in dramatic fashion. Everything then wrapped up with the Men's 4 X 400 relay, where Castello, London, Ian Russell and Spencer Hines posted a solid runner-up finish at 3:19.54.
Additional Day Two Highlights
- The women's 4 x 100m relay team of Naomi Vagher, Lydia Robinson, Liliana Robinson and Ridge finished third with a time of 46.53, an NAIA B standard and a new school record.
- Giittinger picked up an NAIA "A" Standard while also finishing as runner-up in the Men's Pole Vault with a vault of 4.90 meters, a personal record. In addition to Giittinger's runner-up finish, Darrion Cox came in third and Jaden Harris (PR-tying) finished fourth, with each recording a mark of 4.35m.
- Julian Winters produced a runner-up finish in the Men's Shot Put, recording a PR of 15.96m.
- The Falcons got a pair of runner-up finishes in the Triple Jump, with Matthew Bryant (14.27m) in the men's event and Aneesa Sheppard (11.70m) on the women's side.
- In the Men's 400m hurdles, it was Denzel Nyamwela finishing second and posting a PR of 54.73
- Gabriela Millan secured a runner-up finish in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 14.05, a new school record and the second-fastest time in meet history behind only today's winner JayOnna Perry of Ottawa.
- Christian Setzer tied a PR and posted a runner-up finish of 14.98 in the Men's 110m Hurdles.
- Vokes finished on the podium in third with a PR of 10.43 in the Men's 100 meter run, just missing an NAIA B Standard by .01 seconds
- In the Women's Pole Vault, Isabella Garito found her way on the podium with an outdoor PR of 3.53m.
- Cameron Clary (39.85m) finished on the podium in third in the Women's Discus.
- Ian Russell posted a top-three finish in the Men's 800 Meter run with a time of 1:57.16.
Additional awards included Ashlyn Hubbard winning the Women's Champion of Character award and Ernest Reyes earned the Men's Champion of Character honor.
The Falcons will now compete in last chance meets next weekend before fully beginning preparations for the NAIA National Championship meet on May 20-22 Asheville, N.C.
Complete Day One Recap
