GCU sweeps WAC Indoor Championships

Friday, February 18

Albuquerque, N.M.

9 a.m.

Grand Canyon

WAC Indoor Championships

Photo by: Sam Wasson/WAC

2/19/2022 9:40:00 PM | Track and Field

Men take 6th consecutive title; women win 5th of last 6 tries

By: Josh Hauser

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In a new conference landscape with more opponents to fend off, the Grand Canyon track and field program continued its dominant run by sweeping the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, winning the men's and women's team titles.

It was the sixth consecutive indoor title on the GCU men's side and the fifth in the past six indoor tries for the Lopes women's team.

🗣 "It was a total team effort"

Hear from Coach of the Year @GCU_TrackXC Tom Flood #WACcompete pic.twitter.com/bxDi169DIP
— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) February 20, 2022

"What an amazing weekend for GCU track and field," said Lopes head coach Tom Flood, who claimed his 19th and 20th conference titles at GCU. "Both team titles were total team efforts, and the guys totally dominated in impressive fashion and now have won six consecutive indoor titles."

Atenya Rayson and Tom Flood

Flood was named WAC Coach of the Year for the men and women. GCU's Atena Rayson was named WAC Women's Freshman of the Year.

While the men ran away with 201.5 points — more than double the 96.5 points of second-place Stephen F. Austin — the women staged a second-day comeback after entering the day in fourth place.

"The women were down early today by 40 points but continued to battle in every event to pull out an amazing victory with the last event," Flood said.

On top of Friday's individual title by senior Jorden Okyere in the shot put and the sweep of the distance medley relays, GCU's men won four more individual titles and set three school records on Saturday.

The Lopes finished second, third and fourth in the heptathlon, led by junior Aidan Diggs setting the school record with 5,460 points.

Senior Jacob Lewis got the runners off to a hot start by winning the mile with a time of 4 minutes, 8.37 seconds. Senior Landon Rast finished second and sophomore Bradeon Palmer checked in at sixth to tally 21 points for GCU in the mile alone.

Lopes senior Israel Oloyede won the individual title and Okyere finished third for an additional 16 points.

GCU scored 17 more points in the 200-meter run, led by senior Kyle De Moica's school-record time of 21.15. The Lopes earned 15 points in the 60-meter dash, led by De Moica and fifth-year senior David Kolar. Junior Max Carmona won a conference championship in the 800.

Lopes sophomore Gabe Binion finished out the field events by winning the triple jump with a distance of 15.21 meters.

Senior Mariano Hernandez set the final GCU record on the day by shattering the previous time in the 400 (47.01) with a time of 46.72. His time was good enough to qualify for the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships.

"The women's team title was a lot tighter and had a thrilling finish," Flood said. "At one point, right before the running events started, the Lopes were down by 40 points but fought hard in every event right down to the finish to win the fifth conference title in the last six years."

The women's Day 2 was led off by second- and third-place finishes in the triple jump by freshman Taryn Burkett and sophomore Jazmine Scott, respectively, for a quick 14 points.

Senior Jodie Judd got the running events started by winning the mile in a school-record time of 4:52.60.

Junior Kelly Moodry and fifth-year senior Alexa Hokanson put on another great performance in the 800 by finishing first and second for an additional 18 GCU points. Moodry's time of 2:05.38 not only shattered her old school record and the meet record, but it is the 22nd-fastest time in the country.

The Lopes also picked up 12 more valuable points in the 60-meter dash with Rayson's runner-up finish and fifth-year senior Naudia Dawson's fifth-place finish. Rayson also had a runner-up finish in the 200 and was awarded Freshman of the Year.

GCU's pole vaulters finished up the scoring with a title-clinching 14 points. Senior Alyson Schwartz won her sixth conference pole vault title.

"We will enjoy these team titles for a couple of days but quickly turn our focus on getting ready for the outdoor season on Wednesday," Flood said. "The scary thing is I think our men's team will be even better outdoors. We can't wait."

GCU's outdoor season is set to begin on March 18 in Tucson.