BROOKINGS, S.D.- Mar. 2 marked the start of the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. Missouri Baptist sent a total of nine participants, seven men and two women. The Spartans saw multiple top 10 finishers and one national title.

The majority of the men's track and field team participated in day one of Nationals. Camden Woolbright was the Spartans representative in the men's heptathlon. Throughout the day he competed in a total of four events, the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump. The 60m dash was the junior's best event of the day where he came in seventh with a time of 7.28, setting a new personal record. Woolbright also placed 10^th in high jump, 14^th in shot put, and 13^th in long jump.

Next up for the day was Donovan Denslow, who participated in the 5000m run. Among the top distance runners in the country, the Eolia, Mo. native was able to place sixth in the preliminaries with a time of 15:03.96, making it into the final round on the last day. The men's distance medley relay team wrapped up the day for the Spartans. The team placed 25^th and sadly did not make it into the final round.

Day two of Nationals we saw the women step onto the track. Both Isabel Rinkenberger and Mia Reed competed in the women's 1000m run. For the first time all season, we saw Rinkenberger overcoming Reed, finishing a second in front of her fellow sophomore. Rinkenberger had a time of 3:00.45, a new PR, and Reed clocked in at 3:01.54. They earned ninth and tenth place respectively, just shy of making it into the finals.

Woolbright competed in his last three events of the heptathlon on the second day. He came in 13^th on the 60m hurdles, 11^th on the pole vault, and 14^th in the 1000m run. He set a new PR in both pole vault (4.05m) and the 1000m run (2:58.72). Overall, the junior placed 14^th in the heptathlon.

Denslow was the lone Spartan competing on the last day of the competition. After qualifying for finals on day one, the junior was competing against the other top 12 finishers. After not quite making it under that 15-minute mark on the first day, Denslow kicked it into high gear and clocked in a time of 14:42.75. He secured a fifth-place finish, earning his first NAIA All-American honor.

Jordan Crawford was the star the show for MBU. On the second day he competed in the 3000m racewalk. The graduate student posted a time of 12:54.85, beating out all of his competition and earning the gold. Crawford now holds two track & field national titles in the racewalk.

With Indoor season over, the Spartans are now gearing up to take on the Outdoor season with their first meet on Mar 18 at the Central Methodist University Open.