Pride leave outdoor championships with seven medals and a new national qualifier

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Clarke University track and field were back in action for day two of the Heart Outdoor Championships hosted by Mount Mercy University. In total, the Pride would finish with six individuals on the podium and eight others securing an honorable mention nod for a 4th-6th placing. The Pride women's team finished in fifth place with a team score of 65 points and the men's team moved up to eighth place with 42 points.

Competing in three individual events on day two, Allena Rowland earned Heart of America All-Conference honors on all three as she took second in both the 400m hurdles (1:03.85) and the 400m dash (57.24). Her 400m hurdle mark of 1:03.85 earned her an NAIA "A" standard time and already secured herself a trip to nationals back in late April as well as a new program record, breaking her own record by almost a second. Rowland wasn't able to get on the podium for all three events however, but she did earn a Heart Conference Honorable Mention with a sixth-place finish in the 200m finals with a time of 25.94 seconds.

Men's decathlon athlete, Brody Deitering finished on top of four of the 10 events including the 100m dash (11.09), shot put (12.28m), 400m (51.88), and discus throw (33.19m). His final tally garnered him 5,907 points, good for a third-place finish. His points tally also secured his ticket to the national tournament and etched his name in the Pride track and field men's record books.

The second-highest finisher of the day was freshman high jumper, Tyler Kell who followed up his second-place finish in the indoor with the same result in the outdoor season, only this time it was just a shy under his indoor mark at 1.95 meters.

The final Saturday podium placer was men's 5k racewalker Noah Church who raced across the finish line in 27:42.67, earning himself a third-place medal. Sophomore Benjamin Vasquez crossed the finish line in 28:49.65, earning fifth place and a conference honorable mention.

Wrapping up the women's heptathlon on Saturday was freshmen Anyah Ranson and Isabelle Matthews, who finished in fourth (3,620 pts) and fifth 3,594 pts), respectively. Ranson's highest finish was second place in the heptathlon 200m dash, running a 27.35-second race. Matthews had a first-place finish in the heptathlon long jump, hitting a mark of 4.99 meters.

In the women's 3,000m steeplechase, Jaycie Franco just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish and a time of 12:25.50, and a Heart Conference Honorable Mention.

Fellow distance runner, Rory Bickler followed up her fourth-place finish in the 10k race on Friday evening with a seventh-place run in the 5k, crossing the finish line in 19:46.10.

In the women's high jump, freshman Gwen Bottom hit a new personal best by jumping 1.50 meters and finished 11th, respectively.

Pride track and field will travel to Joliet, Ill. for the St. Francis Fighting Chance starting on Friday, May 12th.