SEARCY, Ark. – Harding amassed 309 points, a Great American Conference Men’s Track & Field Championships record, to win its second-straight title. The Bisons’ Dakarai Bush repeated as MVP and the Bisons’ Don Hood won Coach of the Year.
Bush crossed first in three events - the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes and the 110-meter hurdles. He opened Saturday by running the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that posted a Championship-record time of 40.34 seconds. He became a three-time champion in the 110 hurdles, set a meet record in the 400 with a time of 46.02 seconds and repeated in the 200.
2023 GAC Track & Field Championships - Final Results
The Bisons added victories by Tad Kirby in the 100, Casen Hammitt with a record throw in the javelin, Yves Bilong with a record mark in the triple jump and Vlad Malykhin who shattered records in the pole vault. His clearance of 5.71 meters broke school and conference standards and ranks as the second-best effort in Division II history. He owns the top mark in the division by 0.26 meters.
Oklahoma Baptist finished as runner up. The Bison notched three individual champions and closed out the meet by winning the 4x400-meter relay. Alexander Schovanec earned wins in the shot put and the discus. His winning attempt in the shot put of 16.89 meters broke the meet record. Jentezen Smith won the 400-meter hurdles.
Southern Arkansas placed third, followed by East Central, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene. ECU finished first, second and third in the 5000 as Aspel Kiprob edged out his teammate, Amos Pkiach by three one-hundredths of a second.
Ouachita Baptist’s Dylan Dew took first in a pair of events - the 1,500 and the 800 - to become the first Tiger crowned a men’s GAC Track & Field champion.
The GAC also handed out its Elite and Distinguished Scholar Athlete awards. Oklahoma Baptist’s Blake Cope received the Elite Scholar award with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
A total of 11 GAC standouts earned the Distinguished Scholar Accolade in Harding’s Caleb Chunn, Paxton Davis, Thomas Valente and Daniel Watrous; Oklahoma Baptist’s Parker Ables and Caden Martin; Ouachita Baptist’s Ethan Kailey and Joshua Tibbs; Southern Arkansas’ Briston Rains and Connor Westhoven plus Southern Nazarene’s Darius Blackshire.