Men's Track and Field | 05.26.2022

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Cole Olsen wrapped up an illustrious career with his eighth All-American honor, and Kea Stieglitz earned her second in as many years to highlight day two of the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. Olsen, running in the final race of his career, finished fourth in the 10,000m while Stieglitz earned an eighth-place finish in the javelin.
 
THE MEN
Olsen capped his historic career with his highest individual finish ever at an outdoor national track meet. The senior standout finished fourth in the 10,000m in 30:36.02 in his final race as a Warrior. He earned the eighth All-American honor of his career, and the first in outdoor track. Olsen jumped out in front right away and set the tone for the race before crossing the line fourth in the pack.
 
"I think if he had raced that race any other way, he might have been disappointed," Head Coach Mike Collins said. "Cole races one way, and that is hard right from the start. I am pretty proud of him. He left it all out there and ran a good race and forced everyone else to race."
 
Chase Barrow finished 16^th in the event with a time of 31:58.59.
 
Clayton VanDyke will make his return to the national final in the 800m. The indoor national champion in the event won his heat and was third in the prelims with a time of 1:51.36.
 
Christian Bothwell wrapped up his first appearance at a national meet with an 11^th-place mark in the decathlon. He totaled 6,122 points after finishing 16^th in the 110m hurdles (17.24), ninth in the discus (32.61m), fourth in the pole vault (4.20m), ninth in the javelin (44.74m) and eighth in the 1,500m (4:51.94).
 
LC's men's 4x800m team of Dillon Dawson, Carter Gordon, Conner May and Griffen Parsells finished 19^th in the field with a time of 7:45.44. The time set an LC State record besting the previous mark by one second.
 
THE WOMEN
Stieglitz highlighted the day for the Warrior women with the second All-America honor of her young career. The sophomore picked up an eighth-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 42.41m after Wednesday night's delay pushed the finals of the event to Thursday.
 
"Honestly, I think this year's performance is more impressive than last year because we added UBC back to the mix. They had three girls in front of her and she was still an All-American," Collins explained. "She has definitely improved and earned back-to-back All-American. She is moving in the right direction. She has represented our throws program very well."
 
The women's 4x800m relay team of Emily Adams, Rylee Brown, Maja Plaznik and Geraldin Correa shattered the LC State record in the event with a time of 9:12.86. The group finished fifth in the prelims to advance to the event final on Friday.
 
"What they did today was pretty amazing," Collins added. "I knew going in that they could run faster than they did in qualifying, but nationals is a different environment, different time zone and there are so many challenges that you don't get in a regular meet. If you don't cope with them well, they can kill you in a race, but they went out and raced and gave themselves a chance."
 
Madigan Kelly narrowly missed a spot in the 100m hurdles final, finishing 11^th in the prelims with a time of 14.33, and fellow Lewiston native Anika Grogan placed 11^th in the 400m (56.79). Correa was 22^nd in the individual 800m (2:20.22).
 
LC's 4x400m relay team of Grogan, Sara Hathaway, Kelly and Ashley Britt finished 14^th with a time of 3:56.30.
 
UP NEXT
The action continues on Friday with event finals in half marathon (Connor Turpin) at 6 a.m. PT, women's 4x800m relay at 8 a.m. PT, men's pole vault (Nikolous Bertling) at 9 a.m. PT, women's high jump (Jennah Carpenter) at 10 a.m. PT and men's 800m (Clayton VanDyke) 1 p.m. PT.
 
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