The Grace College track team ended the indoor season with three more school records at the 2015 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Mya Brown, Alicia Hertzler, Katelyn McCullough and Jo Boren broke the school record and placed 21st in the nation on Thursday to set the tone for the week. The squad marked the first time Grace has sent a 4×400 relay team (men’s or women’s) to NAIA Nationals. The foursome smashed their previous record by over four seconds, crossing the finish line in 4:00.26.
“The women made a great showing, fought off the nerves of competing at NAIA Nationals for the first time, and put together a very strong race,” Raymond said. “We knew the competition would be very good, so the goal was to set a PR and place higher than we were seeded. We accomplished both of those tasks.”
Boren and Brown went on to break two more school records in the meet on Friday. Boren set her record in the 400 race, crossing the finish line in 58.46 seconds to place 15th. Brown ran a school-record time of 9.20 in the 60 hurdles to finish 17th in the nation.
Additionally, Nathan Brown completed four events in the heptathlon and was in sixth place after the Thursday’s events. He finished second among competitors in the high jump portion of the heptathlon and ended in 15th place nationally on Friday.
Donovan Graham wrapped up Grace’s showing at NAIA Nationals with a career-best performance in the 800. He finished in 13th place in a time of 1:55.55.
The Lancers will now shift their focus on the outdoor season, kicking off with the Butler Bulldog Opener in Indianapolis on March 21.