Cougars Finish Nationals with Historic Final Day

GULF SHORES, Ala. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University outdoor track & field team competed in the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 25-27 at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The experience on the national stage in 2022 turned out to be a special one for head coach Ellis Gallion's qualifiers. Overall, MVNU saw team records fall, PRs get set, and seven total All-American plaques and medals get handed out. The All-American honors marked the most the program has had in its history.

Overall, the men placed tied for 40th out of 77 teams that scored points with eight. Life University won the men's championship with a total of 52 points, while Southeastern University and British Columbia followed with 47 and 39 points, respectively. On the women's side, MVNU placed tied for 31st overall out of the 70 teams that scored with eight points. British Columbia took home first with 138 points. Indiana Tech and William Carey University followed with 94 and 48 points.

Macy Weaver had a great finish to a great career on Friday, May 27 as she ended the half marathon as the national runner up with a PR and school record time of 1:25.09. The second place finish for Weaver is the highest finish for any woman at the national level in program history. Weaver also becomes the only woman in program history with two All-American honors. Weaver ended 2021 as an Outdoor All-American in the marathon after finishing fourth.

Erich Rhodeback wrapped up a sensational freshman season on the biggest stage of his young career. After qualifying for the 110m and 400m hurdle finals with times of 14.28 and 52.31 seconds (school record), Rhodeback took care of business in the final rounds to earn All-American honors in each. The Mount Vernon, Ohio native finished fourth in the 110m hurdles with a new school record of 14.07 seconds. Despite being hampered by an ankle injury, Rhodeback pushed through in the 400m hurdles, finishing eighth with a time of 59.37.

Rhodeback kept adding to his impressive resume as he helped the 4x400m relay team qualify for finals with a school record time of 3:14.08. The group of Rhodeback, Jaden Haldeman, Liam Near, and Marcus Whaley capitalized on the opportunity in front of them as they placed seventh in finals with a time of 3:16.98. With the finish, the four became the first ever relay team in MVNU history to become NAIA All-Americans.

Kyler Dickey finished the year with a 10th place finish out of 31 throwers with a heave of 16.40 meters in the shot put. 2022 was a tremendous year for Dickey, who became an All-American for the first time in his career during indoor season and claimed the Crossroads League crown in both the indoor and outdoor season for MVNU.

After punching his ticket to Gulf Shores in the Last Chance Meet on May 14 with an "A" Standard time of 14.54 seconds, Terril Skinner placed 23rd overall in the 110m hurdle prelims with a time of 14.87 seconds.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and several convenient Graduate and Professional Studies locations throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,200 students from 31 states and 22 countries/U.S. territories.