MARION, Ind. – The cool temperatures, rain and wind did nothing to dampen the spirit nor the performance of the UBC Thunderbirds who collectively had a tremendous opening day to the 2025 NAIA National Championships in Marion, Indiana.
Led by
Theo Manuel's gold medal performance in men's javelin, the T-Birds picked up a total of 20 team points in that one event alone to hold the early lead in the race for the red banner.
The UBC women's team hold a share of third with 10 points earned through the hammer throw, javelin, and the 10,000 metres. The three-time defending NAIA champions also crushed their qualification races Wednesday to set themselves up for much further success as the week continues.
Long throws have long been a staple of UBC's success for both the women's and men's teams and Friday was no exception. Capping off what has been a remarkable sophomore season, Manuel took home the men's javelin title on the strength of his first throw which reached 63.45 metres, 2.02 metres further than the runner-up from Carroll.
Improving nine places from his rookie NAIA meet last year, Manuel earned 10 points toward the team total and got to celebrate another 10 courtesy of freshmen throwers
Marty Bajarunas and
Kayden U-Ming. Bajarunas set a new personal best of 61.14 metres to claim national bronze while U-Ming made it three T-Birds to surpass 60 metres thanks to his fifth place throw of 60.28.
The final event of the evening, the women's javelin throw, saw
Sarah Snell add to the women's team total with her eighth place finish. The sophomore's best result of the night came on her final attempt at 41.51 metres.
Amelia Pfohl claimed fourth in the women's 10,000 metres, finishing the longest event of the meet with a time of 35:28.05. The senior moved up from 12
th to fourth on the third lap and never relinquished her spot for the remaining 22 trips around the track. It was a tremendous finish for the senior who ran her first collegiate 10K race just three weeks ago in Oregon.
The women's hammer throw was once again a boon for the T-Birds with Bella Hall finishing sixth while teammate
Lauren Curtis claimed eighth, both earning All-American status and a combined four team points. Hall's top throw on the day of 53.45 metres improved her finish at the national meet by eight places.
Competing in her first NAIA Championship, Curtis' top attempt reached 52.92 metres, just 15 centimetres shy of her personal best.
The vast majority of Wednesday's track events served as qualifying heats for finals to take place either Thursday or Friday with UBC ensuring they have the opportunity to rack up a bevy of further points thanks to exceptional performances across the board.
The women's 4x100 metre relay won their heat to automatically qualify for Friday's final.
Debbie Suleman,
Sonya Urbanowicz,
Tanya Dhanoa and
Hanna Sobkowich combined for a time of 46.67, tied with Doane University for the fifth fastest.
UBC will have three women in Friday's 1500 metre final after
Grace Beach,
Holly MacGillivray and
Sarah MacGillivray all punched their tickets with automatic qualifying times in their respective heats. Beach claimed the fourth fastest time among all four heats with a new lifetime best of 4:36.70, bettering her previous top mark by more than three seconds.
James Kerr set a personal best in the men's 400 metre hurdles, his 52.11 earning the sophomore a spot in Friday's final with the third fastest time.
Freshman T-Bird
Haley Martin will compete in Friday's women's 400 metre hurdles final having earned an automatic qualifying time in her heat with a 1:03.37.
Both the men's and women's 4x800 metre relay teams will compete in Thursday's final. Having won seven golds in the last 10 NAIA championships in the relay, the T-Birds women's squad will have a chance to repeat their success having easily won their heat.
Kara Fitzgerald,
Laura Beghin,
Mackenzie Campbell and
Sarah MacGillivray finished with a combined 9:15.97.
Kai Martland,
Ryan Goudron,
Spencer Hardy and
Devon Meadows were similarly dominant in the men's relay, finishing with the fastest qualifying time. Their 7:35.60 edged out the hosts from Indiana Wesleyan by13 one-hundredths.
Another of UBC's staple events, the 3000 metre steeplechase, will once again provide a major opportunity to score points come Friday's finals.
Elysse Fleming cruised to win her heat in 11:09.29 and will have the chance to better her bronze medal finish in 2024.
Last year's men's steeplechase champion,
Dylan Uhrich, will officially be able to defend his title with a third place finish in his heat.
Maximilien Filion claimed the fastest qualifying time of all Wednesday, winning his heat by nearly a full second, posting a 9:18.90.
Two-time defending national women's pole vault champion,
Sonya Urbanowicz, was forced to wait another day in her attempt for a three-peat after weather early in the day Wednesday forced a postponement of the event until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Day two of the meet will officially kick off for the T-Birds with
Michelle Dadson competing in the women's shotput beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. A free livestream of the meet is available
HERE.
Complete results, standings and the meet schedule can all be found
HERE.
