GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On the final day of the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, Eastern Oregon closed out the season with two more All-American performances and several strong showings on the national stage.
In the pole vault,
Stephen Pittman delivered an impressive performance, narrowly missing All-American honors. Pittman finished ninth overall with a mark of 4.80 meters, just one place shy of the podium. Freshman
Sawyer Dean also competed in the event. While he did not clear a height, the experience at the national championships provides valuable momentum for the remainder of his career.
Cristian Mendoza represented the Mountaineers in the 3000-meter run, finishing 17th with a time of 8:36.19, his second-fastest mark of the season.
The biggest highlights of the day came from All-American performances by
Riley Morris and the men's 4x400-meter relay team. Morris was the lone Mountaineer competing in the women's finals and delivered another outstanding race in the 1000 meters. She placed fourth overall with a time of 2:51.95, just shy of the Eastern Oregon record she set in Friday's preliminary round.
Eastern closed out the meet in the men's 4x400-meter relay finals. The quartet of
Peter Daniels,
Osman Osman,
Keaton Moore, and
Reuben Manzer returned after setting a program record in Thursday's preliminary round. The group delivered an even stronger performance in the final, finishing fifth overall with a time of 3:13.23—nearly 1.5 seconds faster than their preliminary mark—to set another school record. The finish also propelled Eastern Oregon into the top 20 of the men's team standings, placing 17th overall. The result marks the first time an Eastern Oregon men's 4x400 relay team has earned All-American honors.
The Mountaineers return to La Grande with seven All-Americans, four new program records, and multiple personal-best performances from the national meet. Eastern Oregon now turns its attention to the outdoor season and will host the Gary Feasel Open on Friday, March 13, beginning at 12 p.m.
