Thirteen Saints Competing at NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Starting Wednesday

Gary Marshall

Women's Track and Field | 05/21/24 | 1:21 PM

Marion, Ind. – Thirteen Fighting Saints will compete at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Indiana Wesleyan University on Wednesday May 22 through Friday May 24.

For the men, 6 individuals and 1 relay are qualified and competing. This includes Tucker Monaco (Decathlon), Reuben Hornby (Javelin), Weston Means (High Jump), Josh Smalley (Pole Vault), Brycen Gardner (3000m Steeplechase), Zack Gacnik (10,000m, 5,000m), and the 4x800m Relay (Marco Gonzalez-Sosa, Peter Rehberger, Kaiden Romney, Wyatt Ehredt, Luke Decker). For the women, Chloe Gallagher (Pole Vault) and Sorren Reese (Javelin) will compete.

The 10,000m will be a timed final. For the 4x800m Relay, there will be 3 heats and the top 2 finishers and next 3 fastest times will make the final Thursday. The Carroll relay will be in the first heat. In the 3000m Steeplechase, the top 3 in each of 3 heats and the next 5 fastest will advance from the semi to Friday's final. Gardner will run in the 1st heat. Finally, for the 5,000m, Gacnik will run in the 3rd of 3 heats where the first 4 placers and next 4 fastest times will move on to the final Friday.

Several Saints qualifiers are ranked in the Top 20 nationally: Gacnik (19th - 10,000), Gardner (13th - 3000m Steeplechase), Means (13th - High Jump), Smalley (9th - Pole Vault), Hornby (14th - Javelin), Monaco (3rd - Decathlon), and Reese (12th - Javelin). The athletes will strive to move up from their positions with goals of scoring in the Top 8 and earning All-American status.

The Saints' event schedule is as follows (times adjusted to Mountain Time from Eastern):

WEDNESDAY

8:00 am Decathlon (Monaco)

10:00 am Pole Vault (Gallagher)

1:30 pm Javelin (Hornby)

4:50 pm Men's 4x800 Semi (Romney, Ehredt, Gonzalez-Sosa, Rehberger)

5:00 pm Javelin (Reese)

5:55 pm Steeplechase Semi (Gardner)

7:10 pm 10k Final (Gacnik)

THURSDAY

8:00 am Decathlon (Monaco)

2:30 pm High Jump (Means)