LOGAN, Ohio -- Point Park University men's track and field continued its dominance of the River States Conference with yet another RSC championship.
The Pioneers men's team won its fourth-straight RSC Indoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday, Feb. 17 from the Chieftain Center in Logan, Ohio. It was Point Park's sixth conference indoor title in the seven years since the RSC established the indoor meet in 2018.
When Point Park hosts the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships April 25-26 in Pittsburgh, the Pioneers men's program will be going for its third year in a row sweeping both the indoor and outdoor RSC titles in the same year.
This latest championship by Point Park came with 224 points, which was over 100 more than the closest competitor of runner-up Rio Grande (Ohio) with 110. IU Kokomo was third with 105.
AWARD WINNERS
The Point Park team title was not without its big award winners from Pioneers individuals as well.
Akeem Mustapha, a freshman jumper and sprinter, earned two big awards. He led the entire meet with 35 points scored and thus was named RSC Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and RSC Men's Indoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year. He is a native of Harrisburg, Pa.
Mustapha won the high jump in the first event of the day and later won the long jump with a championship record leap of 7.34 meters. He was second in the triple jump to earn 28 points in the field alone. Mustapha competed in five events earning third place in the 60-meter dash and taking eighth in the 200.
Tim Creamer, in his third year as Pioneers head coach, was named RSC Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year. With another team effort of over 200 points, the Pioneers won nine of the 20 events on the day and came away with 19 all-conference performances.
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
The Point Park men had four of the top five points scorers in the meet and six of the Top 10.
Jannik Windelband was second overall in points. The junior distance runner from Germany racked up 23 points with a meet-record victory in the 1,000 meters at 2:32.66. He was also second in the mile and fourth in the 3,000.
Collins Eze also scored 23 points for the Pioneers. The senior jumper scored in all three jumps, which included a victory in the triple jump. He also took second in the long and fourth in the high.
Damir Lomax was fifth overall in points with 22. He pulled in two silver medals for the 60 and 200 meters. He was also third in the 60 hurdles.
Juan Barrera had 16.25 points on the day for 10th overall. He won gold in the 200 meters and was third in the 400.
Elijah James tied his own RSC record in the 600 meters. He won with a time of 1:23.18 on his way to placing 11th overall for points with 16.
The wins kept coming on the track with Ramiro Ulunque winning the 800 and Kanye Mills taking the 60-meter hurdles tying a meet record at 9.03 seconds. Those two scored 15.50 and 15.25 points, respectively.
Steve Bradley won the 400 meters to give the Pioneers track victories in the 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000 and 60-meter hurdles.
Chevaughn Fletcher gave the Pioneers a medal in the throws taking second in the weight throw. He also scored in the shot put for 12 points on the day.
Point Park's distance-medley relay got on the podium in the last event of the day. The team of Elijah James, Wesley Trower, Emmanuel Akpoli and Ramiro Ulunque placed third.
MORE POINTS
The 60-meter hurdles were a big event for the Pioneers. In addition to Kanye Mills first and Damir Lomax second, Point Park got 25 points from the event with Dorian Boatswain fourth and Gavin Glass fifth. Boatswain also scored in the 60-meter dash to give the Pioneers three scorers there.
Point Park had 14 points the 600 meters with Elijah James winning followed by Toby Wright in sixth and Wesley Trower eighth.
After Akeem Mustapha and Collins Eze going 1-2 in the long jump, Maxwell Goode was fifth for a total of 22 points in that event. The Pioneers also got 22 points in the triple jump with Eze first, Mustapha second and Xavier Tolliver fifth.
Individually, Kodi Quimby placed fourth in the 3,000-meter race walk for five points. He posted an NAIA A national-qualifying standard of 14:37.96.
Joshua Gosselin was eighth in the 5,000 meters to get on the scoreboard for the distance.
CHAMPION OF CHARACTER
The RSC Men's Indoor Track & Field Champions of Character Team was named with Jonah Hartman selected from the Pioneers team. One honoree from each school was selected for best exhibiting the NAIA Champions of Character values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Point Park (Pa.) -- 224
2. Rio Grande (Ohio) -- 110
3. IU Kokomo -- 105
4. Shawnee State (Ohio) -- 86
5. Midway (Ky.) -- 85
6. IU East -- 56
7. Brescia (Ky.) -- 36
8. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) -- 35
9. Ohio Christian -- 23
10. Oakland City (Ind.) -- 17
11. WVU Tech -- 3
RSC AWARD WINNERS
Team Champion -- Point Park (Pa.) -- 224 points
Team Runner-Up -- Rio Grande (Ohio) -- 110 points
RSC Track Athlete of the Year -- Aiden Kammler, Shawnee State (Ohio)
RSC Field Athlete of the Year -- Akeem Mustapha, Point Park (Pa.)
RSC Newcomer of the Year -- Akeem Mustapha, Point Park (Pa.)
RSC Coach of the Year -- Tim Creamer, Point Park (Pa.)
