Tiger track and field teams place in top-10; Diaz-Lopez named national champ in 3,000-meter run

With sophomore Adrian Diaz-Lopez being the national champion in the 3,000-meter run and Lubna Suied earning All-American honors in three events, the Cowley College men and women's track and field teams garnered top-10 finishes at the NJCAA National Indoor Championship held Friday and Saturday in Pittsburg, KS.

The South Plains men won its second title in four years, while the Iowa Western women won its first-ever indoor title.

After failing to score a point at last year's national indoor, the Tiger men had several solid performances on the way to their eighth place finish. However, none were bigger than Diaz-Lopez winning the 3,000-meter run.

"I am very proud of the way everyone competed," Cowley head coach Mark Phillips said. "Adrian has joined Lubna as the workhorses for our teams."

Diaz-Lopez also earned First-Team All-American honors for placing third in the mile run.

Tiger freshman Diego Andres-Dugan placed fourth in the triple jump and broke the school record in the 60 meter hurdles.

Suied finished as the national runner-up in the 3,000-meter run, placed third in the 5,000-meter run, and fourth in the mile run as she earned All-American honors in three events.

"Lubna did wonderful competing and was a big part of our team points," Phillips said.

Other Lady Tigers to earn First-Team All-American honors were freshman Kassidy Blann in the pole vault. The top-three finishers earned First-Team All-American honors, fourth through sixth were named Second-Team All-Americans, and seventh and eighth place finishers were Third-Team All-Americans.

The Lady Tigers scored 36 more team points than last season, while the Tiger men scored 32 more team points than a year ago.

Coach Phillips was named the Men's Central Region Coach of the Year and was inducted into the NJCAA Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame prior to the meet.

Cowley assistant coach Cameron Rieth was named the Women's Central Region Coach of the Year.

The Tiger track and field teams will now prepare to open the outdoor season Saturday, March 20 when they take part in the Emporia State Spring Invite.

Results:

WOMEN

*Pentathlon – Taylor Meinen, 2,649 points, eighth, Third-Team All-American.

*Pole vault – Kassidy Blann, 10-3, third, First-Team All-American.

*Weight throw – Chloe Wilson, 44-5, ninth.

*Shot put – Rashanna Thorne, 38-0, ninth.

*Distance Medley Relay – Cowley "A" (Zinara Lesley, Megan Reynolds, Karissa Glover, Delicia Boothe), 12:59.54, seventh, Third-Team All-American.

*5,000-meter run – Lubna Suied, 18:28.69, third, First-Team All-American.

*3,000-meter run – Suied, 10:09.87, second, First-Team All-American.

*1,000-meter run – Zinara Lesley, 3:03.22, fifth, Second-Team All-American.

*4x800-meter relay – Cowley "A" (Lesley, Glover, Ashley Goforth, Boothe), 10:04.92, fifth, Second-Team All-American.

*Mile run – Suied, 5:09.71, fourth, Second-Team All-American.

MEN

*Heptathlon – Jack Mull, 4,451 points, seventh, Third-Team All-American; Kolby Caster, 4,288 points, ninth.

*Pole vault – Caster, 13-8, eighth, Third-Team All-American; Mull, 13-8, ninth; Jeff Thawinitkul, 13-3, 11^th.

*Weight throw – Langon Moore, 41-0, 18^th.

*Shot put – Ahmed Brown, 49-3, eighth, Third-Team All-American.

*Triple jump – Diego Andres-Dugan, 47-4, fourth, Third-Team All-American; Blake Harnden, 44-6, 10^th.

*Distance Medley Relay – Cowley "A" (Dawson Crawley, Richard Whatley Jr., Goran Duijsters, Javyn Contreras), 10:35.79, 11^th.

*5,000-meter run – Amos Pkiach, 15:17.22, seventh, Third-Team All-American.

*60-meter hurdles – Diego Andres-Dugan, 8.27, seventh, Third-Team All-American.

*800-meter run – Duijsters, 2:00.16, 17^th.

*3,000-meter run – Adrian Diaz-Lopez, 8:22.74, national champion, First-Team All-American; Pkiach, 8:52.34, 12^th.

*1,000-meter run – Crawley, 2:31.90, 10^th.

*4x800-meter relay – Cowley "A" (Crawley, Whatley Jr., Duijsters, Edwin Olvera), 7:49.42, sixth, Second-Team All-American.

*Mile run – Diaz-Lopez, 4:16.91, third, First-Team All-American.