Maple Leafs bring home 14^th place overall at women's track and field outdoor nationals

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Eight members of the Goshen College Maple Leafs Track and Field Team competed on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics when the best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada gathered for the May 21-23 NAIA Outdoor National Championships just outside of St. Louis, Mo.

MAPLE LEAFS FINISH SECOND AND THIRD IN 3K RACE WALK

While many around the country have yet to even hear of the sport of race walking, around Goshen College the event has become a source of pride and recognition.

Credit track and field coaches Rick Clark and Doug Yoder for taking a chance on the sport, credit junior Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) for her talent and dedication, and now credit senior Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio) for her sharp learning curve.

During the 3K Race Walk finals, all those factors (and more) were on display as the Maple Leafs swept the two and three positions on the medal stand as they earned 14 points for Goshen.

As usual, leading the way was Peters. The four–time national champion – once outdoor and three times indoors – ran a steady race despite high temperatures and intense sunshine. Peters earned her sixth overall NAIA All American honor as she took second place with a time of 15.16.74 in the 3K race.

The big surprise, however, came on the legs of Horst. While it was no shock to Horst herself or those around the Maple Leafs program, Horst did surprise a few in the field.

Seeded fourth, Horst held a steady pace and kept close to the front pack. She did not panic or push when she dropped to as low as fifth midway through the race.

In a pack of three with 200 meters to go, Horst turned it on. The senior – in her first year as a competitive race walker – showed experience and simply kicked her way to third place. Her 200–meter drive left the rest of the pack in the dust.

The result? Horst finished eight full seconds ahead of the rest of the pack she was in just 200 meters before as she took third in 15:37.70. In the process, Horst shaved nearly 21 seconds off her career best as she grabbed her first All American honors.

HOUSER CAPS CAREER WITH FIRST ALL AMERICAN HONOR

It was a long wait, but senior Abri Houser (Newton, Kan.) finally got her first NAIA All American honor.

Along the way, Houser broke seven Goshen College records, won four Mid-Central College Conference Championships, and participated in a total of seven NAIA National Championships. Houser has competed at national championships from Fresno (Calif.) to Johnson City (Tenn.), but not until this week – despite several close calls – had the standout reached a event final.

This time around, Houser twice broke her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles to reach the national championship final. After entering the week's field seeded 13th with a qualifying time of 1:03.49, Houser ran a 1:03.43 in the prelims and a 1:02.69 in the semifinals.

Knowing she would likely have to shave even more time off her career mark to earn All American status, Houser did just that in St. Louis during the finals.

As was the case in each of her three runs, Houser used a strong late push as she shaved nearly a full second off her semifinal time for a sixth-place finish of 1:01.88.

When "Houser 1:01.88" flashed on the board, a simple grin and fist pump summed up more than a minute-long race. It was the culmination of four years of ups-and-downs, dedication and hard work.

GC WOMEN FINISH 14^TH OVERALL

With just six members of the Goshen College women's track and field team participating – as opposed to nearly 20 from powerhouses like Azusa Pacific University – the Maple Leafs still managed to keep their string of top 20 finishes alive with a strong all-around effort.

Goshen tallied 19 team points as they placed 14th overall among the 158 schools that participated in the event.

Led by All American race walkers Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) and Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio), the Leafs picked up 14 points in the 3K event. Houser also scored big with three points in her All American performance in the 400-meter hurdles. Picking up the final points for Goshen was sophomore Peni Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) after she placed seventh in the triple jump, surpassed in the finals by a mere .15 of a meter.

Other Maple Leafs who competed at nationals include senior Laura Harnish (Flanagan, Ill.) in the 5,000 meters; Elkhart (Ind.) native Deanna Kronk in the shot put, hammer throw and discus; senior Katie Sowers (Hesston, Kan.) in the javelin; and the lone male competitor of sophomore Jon Miller (Syracuse, Ind.) in the 400-meter hurdles.

13 SCHOLAR–ATHLETES NAMED

As successful as the Maple Leafs have been on the track, they proved that their success goes far beyond their competitive events.

The Daktronics-NAIA All American Scholar-Athlete Awards were announced as part of a ceremony at the national championships and an incredible 13 Goshen College student-athletes were honored.

Here is the complete list:

Laura Harnish (Flanagan, Ill.); 
Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio); 
Abri Houser (Newton, Kan.); 
Krista Nussbaum (Kodiak, Alaska); 
Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio)
; Jessica Steil (Buckeye Lake, Ohio)
; Laura Stoesz (Indianapolis, Ind.); 
Ben Bouwman (Woodridge, Ill.)
; Nick Bouwman (Woodridge, Ill.)
; Tyler Keller (Hesston, Kan.); 
Kris Miller (Greeley, Colo.); 
David Rumsey (Iowa City, Iowa); and 
Max Wyse (Columbus, Ohio).

– By Josh Gleason, Goshen College Sports Information Director

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535–7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist–Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study–Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.