JOHNSON CITY, Ten. - The FPU track and field team was impressive at the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee this past weekend. The men’s team, paced by Ethan DeJongh, Wes Wells, and Anthony Puente finished 17th out of 135 teams. The women’s team, led by Amanda Johnson, Amanda Straw, Jessica Suddaby, Brandy Hurd, Tori Alvarez, and Bridney Reese, finished 34th out of 135 teams.
On the men’s side, freshman Ethan DeJongh became a 3 time all-american in his first trip to Tennessee. He finished 6th in the 60 meter hurdles, tying his own school record on his way to the final running 8.13 seconds. DeJongh finished 5th in the long jump with a leap of 23’3½”. On the last day of the championships, he also bounded to an impressive distance of 49’3” in the triple jump and put himself onto the podium in 3rd. All 3 events were lifetime bests.
Junior Wes Wells was impressive as well. He finished 4th in the high jump finishing at 6’10¾”. The leap not only made the junior an all-american but also made him the school record holder in the event. The previous record of 6’8¼” was held for 37 years by Ken Thiesen who set the record using the western roll technique.
Wells said that “Ken is still the real record holder cause I could never jump as high as he did using the roll…no way…that’s crazy!”
The final men’s competitor was sophomore Anthony Puente who finished a very respectable 9th in the heptathlon. Puente won the long jump portion of the event with a leap of 22’8” which would have placed him in the top 15 in the open long jump as well.
On the women’s side, the Sunbird’s were led by junior Amanda Straw who came into the championships ranked 15th in the pentathlon and finished 5th. The score of 3374 is school record. Within the pent, Straw jumped 5’6¾” in the high jump which is an indoor school record and is a ¼ inch off of the outdoor school record. Straw completed the day with 3 lifetime bests in 5 events.
Also for the women, junior Amanda Johnson who ran a lifetime best in the 3000 meters with a time of 10 minutes 13 seconds which placed her in 7th place.
Freshman Brandy Hurd was impressive as well running a converted 25.31 seconds in the 200 meters. The time lowers her own school record. Hurd was also a member of a women’s 1600 meter relay team which ran 3:56.89 indoor and converts to 3:55.09 outdoors.
The time is significant in that it is a school record and all 4 members of the relay team (Jessica Suddaby, Tori Alvarez, Bridney Reese, and Hurd) are new to FPU track and field. Three are freshmen and one is a junior transfer.
The weekend was one to remember for the young track and field team. It sets them up well as they head into the second part of their season. The Sunbirds return to action on Friday, March 13th as the team splits and heads to the Occidental Distance Carnival in Los Angeles and the Jack Albiani Classic in Modesto.