RECAP ESCOBEDO WINS TITLE, WOJCIECHOWSKI FINISHES RUNNER-UP

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Bethel College Pilots men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams finished day one at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship on Thursday and the Pilots came away with two All-Americans as Danielle Wojciechowski finished as runner-up in the women’s pole vault and Erik Escobedo won the men’s hammer throw national title.

The first-place finish for Escobedo is the fifth individual NAIA national title for the men, and seventh for the Bethel track and field program—and Escobedo joins Wojciechowski as the only athletes in Bethel track and field history to earn titles in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in a single year (Wojciechowski in indoor and outdoor pole vault, 2017). Escobedo won the NAIA individual title in men’s indoor weight throw earlier this year.

Wojciechowski, meanwhile, notches the 26th NAIA All-American performance in women’s pole vault in program history since 2007 with her runner-up finish. She was the national champion a season ago in the event. The duo were recently named NAIA Great Lakes Region Male and Female Field Athletes of the Year, respectively.

MEET VITALS

• NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships
• Standings: Men: 2^nd of 14 | Women: 8^th of 32
• Location: Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium | Gulf Shores, Ala.

INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

• Erik Escobedo | Men’s Hammer | 66.41m

ALL-AMERICANS

• Erik Escobedo | Men’s Hammer | 1^st | 66.41m
• Danielle Wojciechowski | Women’s Pole Vault | 2^nd | 3.85m

OTHER COMPETITORS

• Bailey Lang | Men’s Hammer | 15^th | 51.91m
• Bailey Mott | 400m Hurdles | 26^th | 55.94
• Jamique Mitchell, Travis Sperry, Thomas Jackson, Jordan Downs | 4x100m Relay | DNF

COACH NATALI SAYS

• “Very excited about today’s results. Anytime you have a national champion and a national runner-up the same day at this level it’s a special day. Erik and Dani have worked very hard and I’m so excited for them and their accomplishments. Also very excited about the future. We had several young guys compete today—that shows the future of BC track is in very good hands! Ready for day two tomorrow.”

NEXT TIME OUT

• Jordan Downs (LJ), Thomas Jackson (LJ), Jamique Mitchell (100m), and Jonah Lester (HJ) will all be in action on Friday as the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships continues, with the first Pilots set to compete at 1pm ET.