May 23, 2025

Photo credit by Indiana Wesleyan Sports Information Director

MARION, Ind. – Carroll added eight more points on the final day of 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship Friday at Wildcat Stadium, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan. 

The Fighting Saints were edged by Marian (Ind.) for the top four team places, who received team trophy from the NAIA.  The Knights scored 44 points to place fourth, while the Saints scored 43 points in the team standings.
Montana Tech scored eight points and finished in a tie for 34^th in the standings (with Dickinson State, N.D., Oklahoma Panhandle, Tabor, Kan., Our Lady of the Lake, Texas, Columbia International, S.C., and Mount Vernon Nazarene, Ohio). 

Rocky Mountain scored five points to place in a tie for 48^th with College of the Ozarks (Mo.), Columba (S.C.), and Brewton-Parker (Ga.).  Providence also competed in the national meet.

The Frontier Conference had four All-American status on the final day.  Brycen Gardner of CC finished fifth in the 3000-meter steeplechase final with a carer best time of 9 minutes, 7.95 seconds. 

Carroll’s Zach Gacnik finished 12^th in the 5000-meter run with a time of 15 minutes, 8.50 seconds.

The Frontier Conference produced three NAIA All-America athletes in the pole vault.  Jay Jetmore of the Battlin’ Bears placed fifth after clearing 4.85 meters (15 feet, 11 inches). 

There was a four-way tie at 4.75 meters clearance in the pole vault.  Josh Smalley of Carroll earned a sixth-place finish, recording a tiebreaker on the first attempt of the 4.60 meters clearance (Smalley, owned the tiebreaker over Ridge Willard of Indiana Wesleyan – Willard cleared the 4.60 meters on his third attempt).

His teammate Tucker Monaco edged Midland’s (Neb.) Robert Atwater to clinch the eighth-place finish in the pole vault (4.75 meters).  Monaco owned the tiebreaker over Atwater after clearing the height of 4.60 meters on his first attempt – both Monaco and Atwater cleared the height of 4.75 meters on the third attempt but could not clear on 4.85 meters).

A pair of shot-put throwers competed Friday, led by Montana Tech’s Cade VanVleet with 16.29 meters (53 feet, 5.25 inches) toss to finish 15^th.  Providence’s Travis Zavala threw 14.90 meters (48 feet, 10.50 inches) to place 23^rd.

MT’s Nicolo Lancini leaped 14.51 meters (47 feet, 7.25 inches) to place 11^th in the triple jump.

The NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships officially ends the season.