Completed Event: Track and Field at UNM Don Kirby Elite on February 13, 2026 ,
Track & Field
at UNM Don Kirby Elite
Grand Canyon University Athletics
WAC Day 2: Conference titles start to pile up
5/14/2021 7:53:00 PM | Track and Field
Lopes maintain teams leads with 4 more champs, 2 school records
EDINBURG, Texas — The Grand Canyon track and field teams shined just as much Friday as they did on Day 1 of the WAC Outdoor Championships, winning four conference titles and breaking two school records on Day 2 to maintain healthy men's and women's leads in the team title races.
GCU senior Niki Xydona (heptathlon), sophomore Aidan Diggs (decathlon), junior Alyson Schwartz (pole vault) and senior Paige Hildebrandt (3,000-meter steeplechase) won individual WAC titles on Friday and each brought 10 points to their teams.
The Lopes lead on the men's and women's side entering the final day of competition Saturday at UT Rio Grande Valley. The GCU men have scored 121 points, while Utah Valley still is chasing the Lopes with 74 points. The GCU women hold a lead with 105.5 points and New Mexico State following at 61.5 points.
"Today was another great day to be a member of the GCU track and field family at our oval office," Lopes head coach Tom Flood. "We started and finished Day 2 at our WAC Championships the way we did on Day 1."
In the last event of the day, Hildebrandt destroyed her personal school record and the UTRGV stadium record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she won the race in 10 minutes, 23:05 seconds.
On their second day of competition, Xydona and Diggs pulled through with wins in the heptathlon and decathlon. Xydona defended her title by scoring 5,018 points to win by 50 points, while Diggs totaled 6,848 points for a 250-point gap ahead of second place.
Schwartz won her fifth conference title, including indoor, in the pole vault with a jump of 4.06 meters. The women's pole vault team earned GCU 28 team points from their stellar performances. Senior Megan Fray was the runner-up with a personal best of 4.06 meters and senior Madelyn Lundberg placed third.
"Our women's pole vaulters put on a dominating display today and put 28 huge team points on the board," Flood said.
The Lopes not only won four WAC titles on Day 2, but they also came through with multiple second-place finishes to aid in team points. These performances were executed by Fry, junior Landon Rast (3,000-meter steeplechase), senior Josh Onwordi (long jump) and junior Deshon Toney (shot put). Rast also broke his school record with a time of 9:18.39.
"We have positioned ourselves very well for tomorrow's final day," Flood said. "We have expanded our Day 1 team point leads and have qualified four athletes for tomorrow's (Saturday's) finals in the men's 100 and 200 meters, three in the men's 400 meters, two each in the women's 200 and 400 meters, two in both men's and women's 800 meters and two in the men's 400-meter hurdles."
GCU senior Anaya Bailey has been in and out of competition this season with injury and pulled through with the second-fastest times in the 100- and 200-meter races on Friday. She ran the 100 in 11.93 and the 200 in 23.86.
"I know our athletes will remain focused and will keep the gas pedal pressed to the floor until the final event," Flood said.
The Lopes will be back to compete in event finals and finish their team quests for conference titles at UTRGV on Saturday.
GCU senior Niki Xydona (heptathlon), sophomore Aidan Diggs (decathlon), junior Alyson Schwartz (pole vault) and senior Paige Hildebrandt (3,000-meter steeplechase) won individual WAC titles on Friday and each brought 10 points to their teams.
The Lopes lead on the men's and women's side entering the final day of competition Saturday at UT Rio Grande Valley. The GCU men have scored 121 points, while Utah Valley still is chasing the Lopes with 74 points. The GCU women hold a lead with 105.5 points and New Mexico State following at 61.5 points.
"Today was another great day to be a member of the GCU track and field family at our oval office," Lopes head coach Tom Flood. "We started and finished Day 2 at our WAC Championships the way we did on Day 1."
In the last event of the day, Hildebrandt destroyed her personal school record and the UTRGV stadium record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she won the race in 10 minutes, 23:05 seconds.
On their second day of competition, Xydona and Diggs pulled through with wins in the heptathlon and decathlon. Xydona defended her title by scoring 5,018 points to win by 50 points, while Diggs totaled 6,848 points for a 250-point gap ahead of second place.
Schwartz won her fifth conference title, including indoor, in the pole vault with a jump of 4.06 meters. The women's pole vault team earned GCU 28 team points from their stellar performances. Senior Megan Fray was the runner-up with a personal best of 4.06 meters and senior Madelyn Lundberg placed third.
"Our women's pole vaulters put on a dominating display today and put 28 huge team points on the board," Flood said.
The Lopes not only won four WAC titles on Day 2, but they also came through with multiple second-place finishes to aid in team points. These performances were executed by Fry, junior Landon Rast (3,000-meter steeplechase), senior Josh Onwordi (long jump) and junior Deshon Toney (shot put). Rast also broke his school record with a time of 9:18.39.
"We have positioned ourselves very well for tomorrow's final day," Flood said. "We have expanded our Day 1 team point leads and have qualified four athletes for tomorrow's (Saturday's) finals in the men's 100 and 200 meters, three in the men's 400 meters, two each in the women's 200 and 400 meters, two in both men's and women's 800 meters and two in the men's 400-meter hurdles."
GCU senior Anaya Bailey has been in and out of competition this season with injury and pulled through with the second-fastest times in the 100- and 200-meter races on Friday. She ran the 100 in 11.93 and the 200 in 23.86.
"I know our athletes will remain focused and will keep the gas pedal pressed to the floor until the final event," Flood said.
The Lopes will be back to compete in event finals and finish their team quests for conference titles at UTRGV on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Track and FieldFriday, August 14
Friday, August 14
Friday, August 14
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