PITTSBURG, Kan. – Facing off against some of the best competition in the NAIA, freshman Jaden Rodriguez improved upon his already sensational career-best times in the 800-meter and 3000-meter at the NAIA/JUCO Challenge at the Robert W. Plaster Center to pace the MACU Men's Track & Field team on Saturday.
Having already qualified for the NCCAA National Championships in each event, Rodriguez only bettered his times and chances in each race. Competing in the 800-meter in the evening hours, the Blanchard, Oklahoma native crossed the finish line in 14th out of a 42-runner field as his time of 1:58.80 bumps his 22nd-best time in the NCCAA all the way up to No. 4 on the list.
A little under three hours later, Rodriguez also bettered his 3000-meter qualifying time. Crossing the finish line in 8:59.07, he turned in a 10th place finish out of 42 runners in the event and set the 11th-fastest 3k time in the NCCAA. He set the 19th-best time in the NCCAA last weekend at the OU Owen Hewett Invitational in Norman, Oklahoma last Friday.
Mid-America Christian opened the day with its first ever team event in program history, the 4 x 800-meter relay. While the tandem of Aidan Collins, Conner Gerth Alexander Pebeahsy and Collin Seely finish 12th out of 13 in a loaded field, the team's 8:34.20 time is by far and away the best mark set within the NCCAA this season, besting Columbia International's 9:02.32 set on Friday at the VMI Invitational.
The next event of the day for MACU was the Mile and after running just over a five-minute time at the Owen Hewett last weekend, freshman Cameron Pearson shattered his previous best with a time of 4:48.95 to place 31st out of 55 competitors. Pearson also ran in his first 800-meter event of the season and narrowly missed setting an NCCAA Nationals qualifying standard with a time of 2:05.99 for 30th place, just four seconds off from the mark.
Seely and Steven Whitmore also greatly improved their Mile times by nearly 10 seconds with both runners finishing 37th and 42nd with times of 4:51.67 and 4:53.54.
Alongside Rodriguez, Collins and Pebeahsy ran in the 3000-meter to finish the night as both turned in career-best times of 9:21.90 and 9:23.90 to place 20th and 25th, respectively.
Mid-America Christian will return to action next weekend as the Evangels will head to Topeka, Kansas for the Washburn Open on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
