INDIANAPOLIS – Ten Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) student-athletes earned a total of 11 All-America honors, while two conference men’s teams placed in the top 25 for the first time in nearly a decade at the 2014 NCAA Division II Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships, held March 14-15, at the JDL Fast Track in Winston Salem, N.C.
Behind four All-America efforts in distance running, the University of Southern Indiana men’s team recorded 15 points to finish 13th overall in the 49-team field, while the University of Indianapolis placed 25th with six points scored. Other conference finishers included Bellarmine University (5) tied for 31st, and Missouri S&T (3) and Lewis University (2.5) in 38th and 41st, respectively.
It’s the first time the GLVC has seen two of its teams place in the top 25 at the NCAA Indoor Championships since 2005 when Lewis (16) placed 12th and SIU Edwardsville (10) tied for 19th.
On the women’s side, Missouri S&T scored four points in the competition to place 38th in the 54-team field, while Indianapolis (1) finished tied for 51st. The Lady Miners’ effort mark the best result for a GLVC women’s team at the national indoor meet since Lewis (4) tied for 34th in 2011.
Individually, USI’s Tyler Pence earned two All-America distinctions by finishing fifth in both the 3,000 meters (8:22.27) and the 5,000 meters (14:17.56). Pence was one of three GLVC All-Americans in the 5,000 meters as teammate Johnnie Guy (14:10.49) placed one position ahead of him in fourth, while Lewis’ Andrew McLain (14:22.80) was eighth. Just missing out on top-eight honors in the event were USI’s Josh Guy (14:32.26) in ninth and McKendree University’s Blake DeLong (14:37.51) in 11th.
Southern Indiana also earned two team points from Tyler Schickel’s All-America status after he finished seventh in the mile in 4:14.52, three spots back of Bellarmine’s Robert Sandlin in fourth at 4:12.22.
One other conference standout earned All-America acclaim in the running events as GLVC Track Athlete of the Year Adriel Hawkins of Missouri S&T placed sixth in the finals of the 200 meters with a time of 21.67.
In field events, UIndy’s Joshuah Bass turned in the highest finish of any GLVC competitor at the national meet with a third-place finish in the long jump (7.49m, 24’7”). Lewis’ Isaac Jean-Paul, the GLVC Field Athlete of the Year, tied for seventh overall in the high jump (2.05m, 6’8.75”).
Two GLVC female student-athletes also walked away All-Americans as Missouri S&T’s Taylor Cipicchio tied for fourth in the pole vault (3.70m, 12’1.5”) and Indianapolis’ Tatiana Zhuravleva was eighth in the shot put (14.92m, 48’11.5”).
A complete list of 2014 GLVC Indoor All-Americans can be found below:
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MEN |
Robert Sandlin |
Bellarmine |
Mile |
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Joshuah Bass |
Indianapolis |
Long Jump |
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Isaac John-Paul |
Lewis |
High Jump |
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|
Andrew McLain |
Lewis |
5000 Meters |
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Adriel Hawkins |
Missouri S&T |
200 Meters |
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Johnnie Guy |
Southern Indiana |
5000 Meters |
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Tyler Pence |
Southern Indiana |
3000 Meters |
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Tyler Pence |
Southern Indiana |
5000 Meters |
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Tyler Schickel |
Southern Indiana |
Mile |
|
WOMEN |
Tatiana Zhuravleva |
Indianapolis |
Shot Put |
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Taylor Cipicchio |
Missouri S&T |
Pole Vault |