NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Utah Valley University won a trio of conference titles on the final of the 2023 WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the campus of Stephen F. Austin. Habtamu Cheney and Everlyn Kemboi both captured 5,000-meter titles after winning the 10k finals on Thursday night, and Kelsi Oldroyd won her first WAC championship with a gold in the javelin.
 
The Wolverine men finished third in the team race with Grand Canyon claiming the title and Southern Utah coming in second. The women finished fourth, with New Mexico State winning the team championship.
 
Cheney pulled away over the final 100 meters from SUU's Travis Feeny, to win the event in 14:06.57. He was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer and the High Point Award Winner at the conclusion of the meet. Cheney now has four WAC Championships during his career after sweeping the 5k and 10k this weekend and winning both the 3k and 5k at the WAC Indoor Championships in February.

Kemboi won the ninth WAC title of her career, sweeping the 5k and 10k for the second straight season. The All-American came into the championships with the top 5,000-meter time in the country and didn't disappoint while breaking her own meet record with a time of 15:45.85. She has also swept the 3k and 5k at the WAC Indoor Championships in each of her two appearances at that meet.
 
Melaney Preston was third in the 5k (16:43.94) while Ari Trimble (ninth) and Madison Flippence (10th) both recorded top-10 finishes. In the men's 5k, Joel Mendez finished third for Utah Valley with a time of 14:22.58 while Kale Sharp was seventh, finishing in 14:41.58.
 
Oldroyd won the javelin gold on the strength of her first throw of the day. She hit 47.63 meters (156' 3") and, after a lightning delay, was able to ride that mark to the championship. Ashlyn Reeder finished seventh with a mark of 39.83 meters (130' 8").
 
The Wolverines also saw two school records and a number of top 10 movement on the final day of the event. Kallie Given broke her own school record in the high jump while finishing third in the event on Saturday. Given jumped 1.74 meters, which is currently tied for 47th in the West Region and gives her a shot at the NCAA West Preliminary rounds.
 
In the discus, three Wolverines set new personal records including Joshua Clark, who established a new school record with his first attempt of the day. He hit 53.27 meters (174' 9"), good enough for third at the championships. Ethan Hill also picked up a team point, finishing eighth with a distance of 47.63 meters (156' 3"), a new personal best and the No. 7 mark in the school's top 10. Austin Kleinman was right behind Hill, in ninth, with his mark of 47.38 meters (155' 5"), which his new PR and No. 8 in the top 10.
 
The Wolverines had a strong showing in the men's pole vault, with three of the top six finishers led by Noah Peterson, who finished third. Both he and Connor Wilson hit 4.99 meters (16' 4.5"), with Peterson taking third after eclipsing the height on the first attempt. Porter Westerlind took sixth (4.89m) after matching the fourth-best vault of the day. The trio earned 14 team points for the UVU men.
 
Olivia Pixton set a new personal record in the triple jump (11.70 meters). That moves her from sixth into a tie for third at Utah Valley.
 
Alyssa Logan came up clutch in her final throw of the discus in the day's first event. Logan's final toss of 46.53 meters gave her seventh place and was just shy of her PR.
 
In the women's 800, Taylor Viertel set her personal record and jumped up to No. 7 in the top 10 with a time of 2:12.22, which was sixth place on Saturday.
 
Aiden Garnett and Jeffrey Duvinston had podium finishes in the high jump after both hit 2.04 meters. Six competitors, taking spots three through eight, all hit 2.04 with Garnett in sixth and Duvinston in seventh after tiebreakers.
 
The Wolverines will now prepare for the NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento that runs May 24-27. The official announcement of the full field of competition will be announced on Thursday, May 18.

Men's High Point & Outstanding Track Performer - Habtamu Cheney, UVU 
Men's Outstanding Field Performer - Oscar Rodriguez, Grand Canyon 
Men's Freshman of the Year - Nick Grullon, SFA
Men's Coach of the Year - Tom Flood, GCU
Women's Outstanding Track Performer - Jhana Downie, NM State
Women's Outstanding Field Performer - Angel Richmore, SFA
Women's High Point - Nissi Kabongo, SFA
Women's Coach of the Year - Joseph Rath, NM State
Women's Freshman of the Year- Maëlle Porcher, CBU