Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Friday, the Great American Conference announced the results of its 2022 GAC women’s track & field preseason coaches’ poll. Oklahoma Baptist received three first-place votes to enter the season as the favorite.
 
Last year, the Bison won their second-straight GAC Championship. They return four GAC individual champions in Christian Arenivar, Mahcoe Smith, Maxamillian Wheeler and Jax Holland. Arenivar claimed two distance titles as he won the 5000- and the 10,000-meter runs. Smith won the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.60 seconds. Wheeler captured a victory in the steeplechase. Holland emerged victories in the long jump with a mark of 7.17 meters.
 
The Bison won both the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays. Both relay teams qualified for the NCAA Championships. They return a combined seven of their eight relay runners. Holland ran on both teams, as did Shirvante Knauls and Marcus Petersen. Smith ran on the 4x100 team.
 
Harding picked up two first-place votes and finished second in the poll. The Bisons return four 2021 GAC champions and two additional individuals that qualified for the NCAA Championships. Nikolasz Csokas took seventh in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships to earn First-Team All-American honors. Fallou Gaye edged Csokas in the 400 hurdles at the GAC Championships. He went on to garner Second-Team All-American honors. Dorian Chaigneau, the GAC champion in the pole vault and Austin Parrish advanced to the NCAA Championships in the event. Both earned Second-Team All-American accolades.
 
The Bisons return two additional GAC champions in Thibault Waeles, who won the 800 and Dakarai Bush, who took first in the  110-meter hurdles.
 
Southern Arkansas took third in the voting followed by East Central and Southern Nazarene. The Tigers’ Zachery Wells won the 1500 at the GAC Championships and the Crimson Storm’s D'Kari Smith returns after claiming the GAC title in the 200-meter dash.
 
The 2022 GAC Championships take place from Thursday, May 5th through the 7^th in Shawnee, Oklahoma on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University.