Indoor Track: IU East at NAIA National Championships Day 1 Recap

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Indiana University East track and field teams opened the NAIA National Indoor Championships on Thursday, March 5.

The Red Wolves competed in three events in the Alachua County Sports & Events Center at Celebration Pointe with Cameron Nocton advancing to the finals of the men's 3,000-Meter Race Walk.

Finishing third in the second heat of the prelims, Nocton posted the fifth best time overall at 13:30.93 to make the field of 12 in the finals on Friday.

Nocton's qualifying time of 12:05.36 at the River States Conference Indoor Championships is the best in the NAIA this season.

Austin Wenta and Vance Dougherty also competed in the race walk. Wenta was 19th with a 16:01.88, while Dougherty was 20th at 16:25.94.

On the women's side, Emilee Earl was 17th in the pole vault with a height of 3.55 meters just off her school record of 3.58 from earlier this season.

IU East's Distance Medley Relay squad of Emily Fleming, Mackenzie Rohde, Mylee Shatto and Kayci Hill finished 15th with a 12:37.08.

Day two of the championships has the Red Wolves taking part in the finals of the men's and women's race walk along with the prelims of the women's mile and 1,000-meter run with the action starting at 10:45 a.m.

IU East's Schedule of Events

Friday, March 6
Women's 3,000-Meter Race Walk Final (No Prelims) at 10:45 a.m. (Sarah Perry, Makenzee Kahn)
Men's 3,000-Meter Race Walk Final at 11:15 a.m. (Cameron Nocton)
Women's Mile Prelims at 11:45 a.m. (Kayci Hill, Emily Fleming)
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Prelims at 3:45 p.m. (Kayci Hill)

Saturday, March 7
Women's Mile Final at 12:25 p.m. (Kayci Hill, Emily Fleming)
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Final at 2:35 p.m. (Kayci Hill)