Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2024) - The Chaps dominated the 2024 NJCAA Division III Track and Field Championships.
The Chaparrals totaled 206 points to easily out-distance Mineral Area College, which scored 130 points and won their record-setting fourth consecutive team title.
The 206 points are the most by a team champion since 2015 and encapsulates the power the Chaps showed during the three-day championship in Utica, New York.
"Our strength was all about depth and talent," said Interim Co-head coach Mallory Dominguez. "Our guys were able to compete in their specialty events. They proved it. That's about as dominant an effort as you're going to see at a national championship."
The proof is in the numbers. Sophomore sprinter Noah Mack repeated his titles from a year ago in the 100 and 200 relays. He also added first-place efforts in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.
Mack and his 4 x 100 teammates Timothy McMiller, Weston White and Elijah Phipps set a meet record time of 41.21 seconds, eclipsing a 26-year record of 41.29 set by Erie Community College.
Distance ace Kevin Diederich doubled in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, while Graham McAninch won the 400 hurdles, and ran on the winning 4 x 400 relay team with Mack, Chris Ruchaj and Gabriel Parker.
Parker won the pole vault and Ronan Cornelius captured the high jump.
Depth was a strength all season long and particularly impressive was COD earning substantial points in multiple points.
COD earned 24 points in the 100 (champion Mack with runner-up Weston White and third-place Tim McMiller), 18 in the 200 (Mack and White going 1-2), 12 in the 400 (McAninch, who was second and Parker fifth), 11 in the 5000 (champion Diederich and eighth-place Patrick Hohe), 16 in the 10,000 (champion Diederich and third-place Tim O'Leary) and 24 in the pole vault (Parker, runner-up Dominic Cokinis and third-place Brayden Farmer).
"We go 1-2-3 in the 100 and 1-2-3 in the pole vault," Dominguez said. "When you can score double digits in events, you will be at the top. The guys bought into it and worked extremely hard. We overpowered our competition."
COD claimed nine first-team All-Americans (champions), four second-team All-Americans (runner-up finish) and 10 honorable mention All-Americans (third place).
COD has now won eight national championships in men's track and field, more than any other program since the NJCAA recognized Division III non-scholarship track in 1998.
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Media Contact Information:
Jennifer Duda
dudajen@cod.edu
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