Hickerson Wins NCCAA National TitleWINONA LAKE – Grace College celebrated its first day hosting the NCCAA Track and Field National Championships with an individual champion of its own.
Thomas Hickerson, a Warsaw Community High School graduated, claimed the NCCAA javelin title, clearing 162 feet, 6 inches to win the national championship at the Bernard and Linnie Key Track and Field Complex.
Hickerson is the first individual NCCAA champion for Grace since 2010 and it was only the eighth time Grace has won an event at NCCAA Nationals.
Grace’s Emily Anderson just missed All-American honors with a fourth-place showing as a freshman, throwing 110 feet, 2 inches for fourth place in the javelin.
Karla Singer ended up fifth in the NCCAA in the 10,000-meter race for Grace when she crossed the finish line in 41:46.52.
The men’s 4x800 relay team of Brady Willard, Jonathan Balda, Brendan Hamilton and Sam Hall picked up a fourth-place finish in a time of 7:54.12.
Isaiah Zeller placed seventh in the nation in the pole vault when he cleared 13 feet, 9.25 inches, and Brooke Treadway was also seventh in the discus with a personal-best throw of 118 feet, 10 inches.
Additionally, Grace’s Martin Schiele won his prelim leg of the 200-meter race and qualified for Friday’s final race. He also advanced to the finals of the 100-meter dash.
The championships will conclude today with events running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
