COLUMBIA, Ky. – The University of the Cumberlands men's track & field team captured the MSC Outdoor Championship for the third consecutive season, totaling 285.5 points while crowning multiple conference champions on the final day. Mark Lawin was named both MSC Freshman of the Year and MSC Athlete of the Year after also sweeping both honors during the indoor season. He becomes the first Patriot in program history to sweep Athlete of the Year honors for both indoor and outdoor.
Cumberlands opened the day with a win in the 4x100-meter relay, as Willy Mabena, Aarontae Wesley, Jordan Afolayan, and Edwin Van Wyk combined to run 40.56 to earn First Team All-Conference honors.
The Patriots dominated the 1500 meters, sweeping the top five spots. Ishak Mekideche led the way with a conference title in 3:57.15, followed by Niklas Scherb (3:58.08) and Sean Crady (3:58.60) to complete the podium sweep. Kyle Crady placed fourth in 3:59.25, while Ben Beilfub added a fifth-place finish in 4:01.71.
Cumberlands continued its strong showing in the 800 meters, led by Scherb who captured the conference title in 1:53.81. Caden Cull followed in second (1:53.82), while Max Young placed third (1:54.96) and Ryan Ehrler finished fourth (1:55.00). Maddox Knight added a sixth-place finish in 1:56.41, while Reed Richardson recorded a time of 2:01.81.
Sprint action saw Tavon Davis claim another conference title in the 400 meters, crossing in 46.57 to earn First Team All-Conference honors while hitting the NAIA A standard. Roy Miller followed with a runner-up finish in 47.30, while Luban Haque placed fourth in 47.98. Noah Kincade (51.44) and Nate Case (51.87) also competed fpr 10th and 11th place finishes.
In the 200 meters, Willy Mabena secured the conference title with a time of 21.59. Jordan Afolayan added a fourth-place finish in 22.22, while Noah Kincade placed sixth in 23.23. The 100-meter final saw Afolayan place fourth in 10.56, while Aarontae Wesley followed in sixth with a time of 10.63.
Over the hurdles, Zion Pruitt placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.74, while Tanner Tumey followed in fourth at 14.83. Pruitt also added a third-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 57.38, while Chase Pearson placed fifth in 1:00.61.
Field events added key points throughout the day. Mark Lawin led the way with a conference title in the discus, recording a mark of 44.76 meters. He also added a runner-up finish in the shot put with a throw of 14.86 meters. Byron Collier also competed in the discus with a 38.73m mark for fifth. Seth Massie and Jelle Golbach followed with 29.42m and 28.0m throws for 11th and 12th. Golbach led all UC competitors in the high jump with a mark of 1.90m tied for fourth. Nathan Goodin followed in sixth with a 1.80m jump.
The Patriots closed the meet with another victory in the 4x400-meter relay, as Luban Haque, Zion Pruitt, Edwin Van Wyk, and Roy Miller combined to run 3:14.51 to earn First Team All-Conference honors.
Cumberlands finished atop the team standings with 285.5 points, followed by Lindsey Wilson (201.5), Campbellsville (146), Cumberland (66), Georgetown (62), Bethel (39), and Freed-Hardeman (28).
UC will compete in the Lee Last Chance meet this upcoming weekend before NAIA Nationals on May 20-22.
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