Men's Track & Field Finishes 7th
The MAC men's track and field team turned in a strong showing on the national stage, tying for seventh place at the NJCAA Division III Men's Track and Field National Championship with 39 team points against some of the top junior college programs in the country.
The Cardinals success was fueled by several podium finishes and All-American performances across both track and field events.
Freshman thrower Josh Horrell led the way with a national championship in the javelin. Horrell uncorked a personal-best throw of 55.08 meters (180 feet, 8 inches) to edge Suffolk County's Gary Leschinski by just one inch for the title. Teammate Luke Powell also scored valuable points for the Cardinals with a fifth-place finish at 48.57 meters (159-4).
Sophomore standout Camden Mayes delivered points in three separate events for Mineral Area. Mayes earned third place in the triple jump with a season-best leap of 13.81 meters (45-3.75), while also taking fourth in the long jump at 6.63 meters (21-9). On the track, he added another top-five performance by placing fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.57 seconds.
In the multi-events competition, freshman William Kalisch posted a personal-best 5,025 points to finish runner-up in the decathlon, giving the Cardinals another major scoring performance during the national meet.
Mineral Area's collection of All-American finishes helped the Cardinals secure a top-10 national finish and capped off an impressive season against elite NJCAA Division III competition.
The Cardinals' top-five national finishes included:
- Josh Horrell — National Champion, Javelin (55.08m / 180-8)
- William Kalisch — 2nd Place, Decathlon (5,025 points)
- Camden Mayes — 3rd Place, Triple Jump (13.81m / 45-3.75)
- Camden Mayes — 4th Place, Long Jump (6.63m / 21-9)
- Camden Mayes — 4th Place, 110-meter hurdles (15.57)
- Luke Powell — 5th Place, Javelin (48.57m / 159-4)