Over the past five years, the Aquinas athletic department has continued its storied tradition of athletic success in the form of individual national championships, incredible postseason runs, WHAC championships, record-breaking performances, and a tremendous number of athletic and academic All-America honorees.
 
We wanted to provide our fans with an enjoyable look back at some of the best moments from all of our athletic programs since 2015. Over the next two months, we will highlight a few programs each week - 25 programs in total - and provide a reminder of why it's great to be an Aquinas Saint.

At the 2017 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Johnson City, Tenn., 15 athletes from across the country gathered to compete in the high jump competition and the eventual winner was making his first appearance at the national championships. In fact, five freshmen participated in the finals, but only one newcomer earned All-American status – as Aquinas freshman Nate McKeown captured the 2017 high jump NAIA Indoor National Championship.
 
McKeown was a promising freshman for the Saints, who just two weeks earlier was crowned the WHAC indoor champion in the high jump by clearing a personal-best 2.08m (6' 9.75") in his first conference championship competition. Had he simply duplicated that strong performance in Johnson City a few weeks later, McKeown would have finished fifth overall, certainly a very respectable performance – especially for a first-time competitor on the national stage.
 
The newcomer, who went into the NAIA National Championships as the seventh seed, did not equal his WHAC Championship performance, but surpassed it. Three athletes – Dakarai Hightower (Doane), Jacob Moats (Dordt), and Anthony Cota (Westmont) – all cleared 2.10m (6' 10.75"), but McKeown was able to leap over the competition by clearing the 2.13m (6' 11.75") height to claim the individual national championship. It was a new personal best height, two inches better than the jump that clinched him the WHAC title a few weeks earlier.
 
McKeown, as a true freshman, topped a field that included eight upperclassmen; in fact, spots two through seven behind him were comprised of either juniors or seniors. Comparatively, the next-highest freshman in the final standings tied for ninth place. It was an outstanding two week-span for McKeown, finishing as both the WHAC and NAIA National Champion in the high jump.
 
He became just the third male AQ athlete to win an individual field event national title and only the second Saint athlete to do so since 1974. McKeown's national championship winning height still stands as the Aquinas program record in the event, while he also ranks second in school history in the outdoor high jump.

Next Moment: Wednesday, September 30th

Previous Moments: 
Women's Volleyball: Saints Capture First WHAC Title in 22 Years
Men's Cross Country: Aquinas Men Earn 2018 WHAC Championship 
Women's Soccer: Saints Women Pick Up First National Tournament Win
Women's Cross Country: Saints Win 2017 WHAC Championship for Fourth Straight Title
Men's Soccer: Tahlan's Buzzer Beater Stuns Trinity Christian
Esports: AQ Earns Rocket League National Runner-Up Finish
Cheer: Cheer Team Finishes 9th at 2019 Nationals
Men's Bowling: Sixth-Seeded Men's Bowling Rolls to 2015 WHAC Title
Women's Basketball: AQ Women Reach 2019 WHAC Championship, Earn Nationals Berth
Men's Hockey: Men's Hockey Wins 2017 ACHA National Championship