SEARCY, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist’s men and women hold leads following Friday’s events at the 2023 Great American Conference Track & Field Championships. The Bison collected a combined five individual titles.

The women lead Harding by 25 points. Sophia Strange broke the Championship record in the 10,000-meter run by more than a minute with a winning time of 35:47.71. She won by more than 90 seconds. Kayla McGruder broke a Championship record herself after she won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 11:03.01. Anisha Henderson repeated as the champion in the long jump.

Southern Nazarene’s Abriel Thrash won the heptathlon with an NCAA provision tally of 4,881 points. She won the shot put, the 200 and the javelin.

Harding’s Kiera Blankinship claimed a win in the high jump and Southern Arkansas’ Kailyn Thomas emerged victorious in the hammer throw.

The Bison men hold a five-point lead. Maxamillian Wheeler took first in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Matthew Higdon set a GAC Championship record in the hammer throw

Harding finished the day in second. The Bisons’ Kelmen deCarvalho broked the meet scoring record in the decathlon as he amassed 6,933 points, the top mark in the GAC this year and the 10th-best total in Division II. Antiwain Jones set a meet record in the high jump as he cleared 2.12 meters. Anton Kopytko won the long jump with a best effort of 7.16 meters.

In the 10,000, East Central’s Amos Pkiach repeated as the men’s champion.

Saturday’s events begin at 10 a.m. with the field events. The track events begin at 2 p.m.