Coach says national title special for all of Wayland

GULF SHORES, Ala. – In some respects, it's been a challenging year at Wayland Baptist University. But on Saturday, the Pioneer women's track and field team gave the entire university something to celebrate.
 
Wayland Baptist won the 2015 NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championship behind a dominating effort from its sprinters, while the Wayland men tied for second place just four points out of first.
 
"It's a wonderful feeling," NAIA Women's Coach of the Year Rohan Thompson said. "It's difficult to win a national championship, but these ladies were as clutch as they could be. This was one of the most dominating performances I've seen."
 
Claiming victories in five events, the Pioneer women – who finished eighth as a team the last two years – ran away with the national title by amassing 91 points, 25 more than runner-up Oklahoma Baptist. Two-time defending champion Indiana Tech, which figured to challenge Wayland for the crown, came away a distant fourth place with 52 points.
 
It is Wayland's third national outdoor track and field title and first since winning back-to-back crowns in 2008-09. WBU owns five women's indoor titles.
 
The 91 points are the third-most all-time for Wayland at a national outdoor meet, trailing only the 110 put up in 1986 when Wayland finished second and the 102 scored by the 2009 champions.
 
"These young ladies are special," Thompson said.
 
WBU's young men are pretty exceptional, too.
 
This marks the fourth straight national meet – including indoors – that the Pioneer men have finished second, or tied for second. The men were hoping for their second-ever outdoor title and eighth overall. An unfortunate baton drop in Friday's preliminaries of the 4x400-meter relay proved costly.
 
The Wayland men finished tied with Indiana Tech with 55 points, four behind champion Concordia, Neb. Oklahoma Baptist was fourth with 53 points.
 
"The guys came in today having to battle, and they did," Thompson said. "After yesterday's mistake in the 4x400 – which if that doesn't happen we definitely win the national title – they could have hung their heads, but they didn't.
 
"They came out and went hard the entire day. I don't know where we could have done any better."
 
Leading the Wayland women was an impressive group of sprinters, led by Alexis Browner. The senior from Sacramento, Calif., won the 100 (11.43 seconds) and 200 meters (23.48) and helped the 4x100 (44.91) and 4x400 relays (3:38.72) to victories.
 
Freshman Rochene Smith and senior Gregria Higgs were second and fourth, respectively, in both the 100 (11.58 & 11.72) and 200 (23.82 & 24.24) and ran on the winning 4x100, along with junior Kesley Gittens.
 
Wayland also shined in the 400 where junior Bianca Farrington (53.81) finished first and freshman Monique McPherson (55.36) took fourth. Farrington and McPherson were joined by Browner and Gittens on the winning 4x4.
 
Wayland already had the team title wrapped up before the final event, but the Pioneers still won the mile relay by more than six seconds, breaking the school record by .15. The old mark was 3:38.87 set in 1986.

Yet another freshman, Nina Sato, contributed by claiming fourth in the high jump (1.71m, 5 feet, 7¼ inches). Sato, who also plays basketball for the Flying Queens, tied with the runner-up and third-place jumper at 5-7¼ but was relegated to fourth based on the number of previous misses.
 
In finals on Friday, Sarah Jerotich came in sixth (36:45.8) and Selene Lopez eighth (37:16.4) in the 10,000, while freshman Tiona Owens was eighth in the triple jump (11.75m, 38-6¾).
 
Thompson couldn't say enough about his teams, especially the collection of women's sprinters.
 
"This is the best group of sprinters I've ever had, and I've had some good ones," he said. "Everyone here was talking about how dominant they were.
 
"Those girls have worked their tails off."
 
One factor that makes this title special, Thompson said, is that some members of the team were castoffs by other programs, namely Farrington and Higgs.
 
"We've won titles before, but this one is special because of where these girls came from," the coach said. "In August when we assembled this team, nobody would have thought this championship was possible. This is special, indeed."
 
Meanwhile, junior Kabroderan Handsborough was the top point producer for the Wayland men as he finished first in the 100 (10.21), third in the 200 (21.02) and helped the 4x100 to a gold-medal performance (40.25). Another junior, Justin Scruggs, was second in the 100 (10.31, edging an Indiana Tech runner by .02) and joined Handsborough, sophomore Nicholas Lewis and freshman Devon Sanders on the 4x1 quartet.
 
Sophomore Benard Keter provided the Pioneers with another national title – and near record – in the 3,000 steeplechase (8:42.94) after he was third in the 10,000 (30:52.95) on Friday. Keter eclipsed his own steeplechase school record of 8:47.6 set earlier this year (shattering a 40-year-old school mark), and he came within two seconds of the NAIA record.
 
Thompson said while it would have been nice to bring home dual national titles, he is very proud of the men's squad, as well.
 
"I'm proud of both teams. They showed the heart, the desire, the willingness to do what they had to do to make all of this special."
 
And, Thompson assured, it is very special.
 
"This has been a tough year for Wayland on many fronts. I know winning this title doesn't solve many of those problems, but I hope everyone will enjoy it and know that a lot of people had a role in it.
 
"I feel like this is not just a win for Wayland's women's track and field but Wayland as a whole. So many departments came into play to win this title; a lot of different offices contributed. I hope everyone can take a minute to smile, to feel happy.
 
"There are athletes out there that believe in Wayland, and that showed today."
 
Thompson also took time to reflect on former Wayland track standout Keliesha (Ross) Carter, who earlier this spring suffered a severe stroke and remains in a rehab facility. A 13-time all-American, Carter helped the Wayland women's team to its first outdoor team titles in 2008 and '09.
 
"Keliesha was a wonderful athlete to coach and a good person overall, and is still a good friend," Thompson said. "She is one of the Pioneers that started these performances back in 2008. I hope this can bring a smile to her face while she's lying in the hospital bed, and I hope she realizes she helped create all of this."
 
Thompson also thanked assistant coach Brian Whitlock and graduate assistants Lorenzo and Janelle Dolphus for their many contributions and hard work.
 
"I think Wayland track and field is at an all-time high in terms of performances on the track and in the classroom," Thompson said. "It's an incredible feeling."
 Team Totals (64 total): 1. Wayland Baptist 91; 2. Oklahoma Baptist 66; 3. British Columbia 55; 4. Indiana Tech 52; 5. (tie) Doane, Neb. 52, Concordia, Neb. 55; 7. Embry-Riddle 33; 8. Concordia, Ore. 26; 9. (tie) Cornerstone 23, Missouri Baptist 23.
High jump: 4. Nina Sato, 1.71 (5-7¼)
4x100 relay: 1. WBU (Kesley Gittens, Alexis Browner, Gregria Higgs, Rochene Smith), 44.91
100: 1. Browner, 11.43; 2. Smith, 11.58; 4. Higgs, 11.72
400: 1. Bianca Farrington, 53.81; 4. Monique McPherson, 55.36
200: 1. Browner, 23.48; 2. Smith, 23.82; 4. Higgs, 24.24
5,000: 12. Selene Lopez, 18:20.34; 14. Sarah Jerotich, 18:32.02
4x400 relay: 1. WBU (Farrington, Browner, Gittens, McPherson), 3:38.72
Friday's Finals
10,000: 6. Jerotich, 36:45.80; 8. Lopez, 37:16.47
Long jump: 19. Tiona Owens, 5.46 (17-11)
Triple jump: 8. Owens, 11.75 (38-6.75)
4x800 relay: 16. WBU (Patrice Daniels, Samantha Jones, Melissa Cejas, McPherson), 9:16.48Team Totals: Concordia, Neb. 59; 2. (tie) Wayland Baptist 55, Indiana Tech 55; 4. Oklahoma Baptist 53; 5. Siena Heights 35; 6. Olivet Nazarene 34; 7. (tie) British Columbia 32, Doane, Neb. 32; 9. Eastern Oregon 31; 10. Concordia, Ore. 29
3,000 steeplechase: 1. Benard Keter, 8:42.94
4x100 relay: 1. WBU (Nicholas Lewis, Kabroderan Handsborough, Justin Scruggs, Devon Sanders), 40.25
100: 1. Handsborough, 10.21; 2. Scruggs, 10.31
400: 4. Kelson Pierre, 48.27
200: 3. Handsborough, 21.02
Previous finals
10,000: 3. Keter, 30:52.95
4x800 relay: 10. WBU (Cameron Woodberry, Kevin Dunn, Joey Gonzalez, Devon Simpson), 40.19.