The Master’s University indoor track and field teams walked away with two national championships and 11 All-Americans at the NAIA Indoor Track Championships Saturday in Brookings, SD.
In the team competition, the TMU women’s team finished tied for sixth.
Hannah Fredericks won the women’s 3000m (10:08.21), and she anchored the Mustangs’ distance medley relay team (DMR) to a victory and an NAIA Championship record of 11:38.20.
“My desire lining up for the finals was that my effort would be a sacrifice to the Lord who sent his Son to die on the cross to save me from my sins,” Fredericks said. “I am so thankful for this team, both the people who traveled out to indoor and all of our sweet teammates who were cheering from back home. God is so good, and He gets all the glory from this weekend’s accomplishments.”
Fredericks returned just an hour-and-a-half after her 3000m win to finish the Mustangs’ record-setting DMR victory. Ellen Palmgren took the lead at the midway point of the 1200m carry, and Juliette Colunga and Suzie Johnson got the baton to Fredericks with nearly a 60-meter lead. Fredericks brought it home for TMU’s second national championship of the day.
The Mustangs’ 4x800m relay of Rebekah Niednagel, Emma Nelson, Johnson, and Palmgren were named All-Americans, with Palmgren taking TMU to a second-place finish.
“If Christ had not come to die for us on the cross and give us new life, this effort today would not have been possible,” Palmgren said. “We love because He first loved us, and we give our bodies as a living sacrifice because of the great sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross. Soli Deo Gloria!”
Nelson continued to build on a breakout indoor season with another All-American finish, placing sixth in the 3000m (10:18).
On the men’s side, Brint Laubach earned his fourth All-American award after finishing fifth in the 5000m (14:35.70). Laubach ran two 5000m races within 10 seconds of his personal best in just three days.
“I feel really blessed to have been granted this opportunity to worship the Lord here today,” Laubach said. “The competition was fierce, but it was a joy to suffer well, and I pray that others saw Christ on that track.”
After taking a hard fall in the preliminaries, Zach Garey returned to earn his second All-American award with a 2:26.02 in the 1000m. This was over a 2-second personal best for Garey. He was also a part of the men’s DMR team along with Jayk Kelton, Domenic Ghiorso, and Jack Anderson. This quartet of Mustangs finished fifth with a time of 10:08.06 to earn an All-American award.
Caleb Pouliot, despite dealing with an injury, finished third in the pole vault with a jump of 4.95m. This was Pouliot’s fourth national podium finish in the pole vault in as many tries.
The Mustangs will start their outdoor season at the Occidental Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic on March 9.
