Outdoor Track: IU East at RSC Championships Day 1 Recap

RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The Indiana University East track and field teams had a big opening day of the River States Conference Outdoor Championships on Friday, May 1.

The Red Wolves are leading the women's 10-team affair with 91 points as Midway University is next at 78.5 followed by host University of Rio Grande at 78. On the men's side, Rio Grande is on top with 113.5 points as IU East is second with 68 and IU Kokomo is third at 55.

Saturday's finale at the Stockmeister Track & Field Complex begins with the field events at 11 a.m. Races on the track are at noon.

Friday began with the Red Wolves winning the women's 3,200-meter relay as Kayci Hill, Mylee Shatto, Hunter Gardner and Emily Fleming set a school record with a time of 9:34.44.

In the men's 5,000-meter race walk, Cameron Nocton won his third championship in four years with a NAIA "A" Qualifying Standard of 20:55.70. Nocton was followed by Vance Dougherty, who posted a NAIA "B" Standard of 23:15.03 to finish third earning all-conference honors. Although he was sixth in the race walk, Alex Rost also had a "B" Standard time of 22:25.79.

Carson Shepherd was IU East's other champion for the day as he won the men's pole vault by clearing 4.25 meters.

The final qualifier for the NAIA Nationals Championships was Thomas Hogan, who was second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a "B" Standard and IU East record time of 9:20.24.

There were two more new IU East marks set by Chloe Scales who was second in the women's 10,000 at 37:59.85 and Emilee Earl was fifth in the women's hammer with a distance of 43.78 meters.

IU East's other All-Conference performers, who finished at least second or third were:
Kayci Hill (women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, second, 11:41.10)
Sarah Perry (women's 5,000-meter race walk, second, 30:14.38)
Mylee Shatto (women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, third, 12:14.73)
Brooklyn Taylor (women's high jump, third, 1.47)

Scoring for the Red Wolves were:
Lily Hart (women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, fourth, 12:40.55)
Makenzee Kahn (women's 5,000-meter race walk, fourth, 31:30.54)
Vanessa Temple (women's long jump, fourth, 5.13)
Devin Nease (men's pole vault, fourth, 3.80)
Emilee Earl (women's pole vault, fourth, 3.33)
Conner Walser (men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, fifth, 9:41.33)
Adam Kopf (men's javelin, fifth, 41.69)
Vanessa Temple (women's javelin, fifth, 31.80)
Connor Nease (men's pole vault, fifth, 3.80)
Vanessa Temple (women's pole vault, fifth, 3.03)
Samantha Fowler (women's 10,000, sixth, 39:56.64)
Althea Clifford (women's 10,000, seventh, 40:14.95)
Savanna Smith (women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, seventh, 13:42.78)
Gabe Reynolds (men's 10,000, seventh, 32:40.40)
Layne Beard (men's hammer, seventh, 43.97)
Alyssa Allen (women's javelin, seventh, 30.99)
Naleya Kinney (women's long jump, seventh, 5.01)
Keaton Walker (men's 10,000, eighth, 32:45.76)
Austin Wenta (men's 5,000-meter race walk, eighth, 28:58.56)
Zoe Ogden (women's hammer, eighth, 35.41)
Mariah Kreusch (women's pole vault, eighth, 2.58)

Here's the list of the seven Red Wolves who made it through the prelims to reach Saturday's finals:
Esther George (women's 100 hurdles, first, 15.78)
Tristan Thomas (men's 100, second, 10.81)
Mackenzie Rohde (women's 200, second, 26.04)
Owen Beachler (men's 110 hurdles, fifth, 15.45)
Vanessa Temple (women's 200, sixth, 26.87)
Jaiden Crowell (men's 200, seventh, 22.50)
Esther George (women's 200, seventh, 26.90)