INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The Forester women are heading home with the national runner-up trophy from 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships having racked up 64 points over the course of the three-day meet. Among the eight female athletes representing HU on the big stage, they collected five national titles and 12 All-American honors.

“I am so incredibly proud of every athlete, men and women, and every coach on our coaching staff for the accomplishments of Huntington University track and field this week and this indoor championship,” said Coach Austin Roark. “Every athlete who made the trip put everything they had into this meet and showed their abilities.”

Freshman Addy Wiley’s performance was epic. The rookie from Huntington was the talk of the meet and rightly so as she captured four individual titles and anchored Huntington’s winning DMR team. To no one’s surprise, she was named the meet’s Most Valuable Performer, an award given out to the athlete who scores the most points.

Wiley piled up 42.5 points over the course of the afternoon with her rampage starting at 12:25 p.m. when she cruised to a win in the mile in 4:48.04. Less than an hour later she toed the line of the 600 meters and again made it look easy for her second national title in a winning time of 1:29.47 which proved a new meet record. She got a 45-minute break before collecting win No. 3 in the 800 meters in 2:10.93.

One race later, Wiley wrapped up her mind-blowing quadruple in the 3000 meters by clocking in at 9:47.57 to make it four-for-four. She then had enough gas in the tank to run the 1600-meter leg of the DMR. As the anchor, she received the baton with her team in ninth place and within the first 600 meters had claimed the lead and then continued to pull away from the pack until she crossed the finish line.

When all was said and done, Wiley claimed four individual titles and a relay title within a four-hour span.

Wiley celebrated the national DMR title with teammates Emily Tedder, Destinee McGrady and Mackenzie Brewer (with Brielle Fehlmann as the alternate). The foursome clocked in at 11:46.76 to finish five seconds ahead of the second place team.

Junior Erica Xayarath  also had a great showing for the Foresters. After posting a fourth place finish in long jump with a leap of 5.70 meters on Friday for Huntington’s first All-American praise, she was phenomenal in high jump on Saturday to finish second for All-American honor #2 with a new PR mark of 1.73 meters.

Rounding out HU’s All-American performances on the women’s side was Destiny Copeland who grabbed seventh place in triple jump this morning with a hop, step and jump of 12.12 meters.

“Our women’s team is an amazing group of women athletes, headlined by Addy Wiley,” said Roark. “What she did this week is one of the best things I’ve seen in track and field in a long time. She sacrificed personal times and bests to put the team on her back and make a run at a national title.

“She trusted Coach Neideck and our coaching staff to get her through a gauntlet of a week and she came out with five national titles. The DMR ran incredible to take the win and just miss our school record. It was also a great day by the jumps in a very competitive meet highlighted by Erica setting a new indoor PR and program record in high jump.”

Senior Dylan Felger was the lone Forester to represent the men’s program in Saturday’s finals with a great 600-meter race. He wrapped up his indoor career with a third All-American accolade at Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex by finishing second in 1:17.69.

“We had great performances from all our men’s qualifiers, most notably Dylan in his 600m,” said Roark. “He ran that race with some serious grit and determination to take second to a very gifted runner from Life University. Zach Collins came in seeded 41st and put together a great race in the 200m, including a new school record and PR to finish 15th. Kent Yoder and Reece Gibson battled tough in a very competitive races.”

Roark went on to sing the praises of his staff. “Our coaching staff has worked tirelessly, and faced every situation this indoor season has brought us with integrity and trust in our program’s vision. I can’t thank them, and our entire team enough. Now it’s onto outdoor season.”

Not a bad start for first-year head coach Austin Roark.