It’s a great year to be a Gorilla, as both the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams have been crowned NCAA Division II Champions. It’s become commonplace for the last seven years to see Pitt State achieve honors and awards in track and field, as the men’s team have won the last four in a row and the women’s have repeated after last year’s championships.
On the men’s side, it was a quick and decisive victory. The Gorillas led the standings early on Saturday, riding their momentum to the championship. Pitt State ended with 71.5 points, well ahead of second place Grand Valley State with 51.5 points and third place Wingate University with 50 points. This is the fifth indoor championship for the Gorillas, with the first one having occurred in 2018. Pitt State also becomes the first D2 program to record four consecutive indoor national championships since St. Augustine’s College did so between 2006 and 2009.
On Championship Saturday, the Gorillas secured two individual event national titles to help fuel the point-scoring frenzy: Junior Ilias Garcia in the 60 meters (6.58) and redshirt junior Dylan Sprecker in the mile run (4:11.92). Pitt State also got a national runner-up effort early in the day from junior Tyrone Jackson in the 60-meter hurdles (7.79); and the 4x400m relay of sophomore Amar Williams, junior Logan Davis, junior Caden Williams and junior Nate Watson closed out the Championships with a national runner-up showing (3:07.28).
Senior Leo Chauchard and redshirt junior Drew Wilhite started the day early with fourth and fifth-place All-America performances in the heptathlon. Chauchard compiled 5,452 points and Wilhite totaled 5,351 points in the multi events. Sophomore Na’Koriyon James garnered a seventh-place All-America effort in the 60-meter hurdles (7.93) and redshirt sophomore Johnetheon Lockett added a seventh-place All-America performance in the triple jump (49-9.75). Freshman Xavier Byers secured a fifth-place All-America showing in the high jump (6-11).
On the women’s side, it was another lopsided victory, as they scored 69.5 points. Second place West Texas A&M ended with 59 points, while Adams State University followed with 47 total points. This is Pitt State’s second indoor women’s title, as well as their second in a row.
The Gorillas, who scored in nine of 17 events overall in the meet, sealed the victory late Saturday afternoon with a 22.5-point outburst by sisters redshirt senior Isabelle and redshirt freshman Breanne Peters and sophomore Cannon Booker in the pole vault. Isabelle Peters claimed the national title with a personal best clearance of 14 feet, 6 inches, while Breanne Peters also logged a PR with a national runner-up clearance of 14-4. Booker also logged a PR mark of 14-0 to finish in a tie for fourth place in the discipline.
Junior Payton Phillips and sophomore Lily Brown started Pitt State’s point scoring efforts early on Championship Saturday with fourth place and seventh place All-America showings in the pentathlon. Phillips totaled 3,889 points, while Brown compiled 3,836 points. Sophomore Kayvon Nubine added a fourth place All-America finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.39) and junior Jazmine Williamson picked up her third All-America medal of the Championships with an eighth place showing in the triple jump (40-3.25), after claiming the national title in the high jump and placing fourth in the long jump Friday. Junior Paige Mullen, who scored a fourth place All-America finish in the 5,000 meters Friday, posted a seventh-place All-America effort in the 3,000 meters Saturday, crossing the finish line in 9:22.70.
It’s been another year, and another set of titles for Pitt State track and field. Both teams will now look to reset and focus on the upcoming outdoor track season.