Today (May 25), in humidity of Gulf Shores, Alabama, the Aquinas men's and women's outdoor track and field team began their first day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Competing at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, the Saints added three All-Americans, including a national runner-up, to the their historic programs.

The best event of the day came in the women's pole vault as Victoria Faber and Laikyn Kulman solidified their position as the best 1-2 punch in the NAIA. Beginning with Kulman, she found herself earning national honors once again after taking second in the indoor season. She placed sixth in the event with a finishing height of 3.60 meters (11 feet and 9.75 inches). Faber backed up her impressive season with her best outdoor performance ever at AQ. With a vault of 4.00 meters (13 feet and 1.5 inches), Faber ended her career besting her own school record and earning a national runner-up finish to add to her collection of accomplishments.
 
For the men, Elmar Koster represented the Saints with a strong showing in the javelin. Koster's second throw of six was his best, traveling a distance of 59.97 meters (196 feet and 9 inches). This throw also broke his own school school record and earned a seventh place finish. Koster is the first athlete in history to earn national honors in the event for Aquinas.
 
Tarshana Kimbrough got off to a hot start, setting a new personal best in the 400 meter hurdles semifinals with a time of 1:02.77. She was the second fastest in her heat and overall heading into the finals with a chance at winning the event on Friday. Kimbrough then joined Casey Lenon, Mia Stankiewicz and Shanna Han in the 4x100 meter relay. They finished with a time of 49.87, but unfortunately will not advance to finals.
 
Earlier in the day, Collin Pollatz placed 10th in the hammer throw after coming in with the 11th best throw this season. His throw of 57.98 meters (190 feet and 3 inches) was less than one meter away from qualifying him for finals. Representing the men in the 400 meter hurdles was Adam Bailey. He finished with a time of 54.46 that was good for fifteenth, but will also not advance to the finals.
 
Due to lightning delays, the men's 4x800 meter relay, 3,000 meter steeplechase semifinals, and the women's 10,000 meter race was postponed until tomorrow (May 26). The team of Will Westveer, Will Finch, Zander Masten, and Caleb Hodgkinson will run the relay as Ben Hardy will compete in the steeplechase and Megan Gough will run the 10K.

Also originally scheduled to compete tomorrow was Maggie Whitney in the 800 meter semifinals, Cyrus Prudhomme in the 100 meter semifinals, and the 4x800 meter relay team if they were to make finals. Times to begin the postponed races are yet to be determined as the day was originally scheduled to start at 11:00 AM EST.