OSKALOOSA — Huge results came from the William Penn distance runners last weekend, and due to his efforts in leading the group, Assistant Track and Field Coach Caleb Drake was honored by the Heart of America Athletic Conference as it announced its top awards from its outdoor championships.
Drake was named the Heart Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year after his athletes produced 49 of William Penn’s 117 total points. Also the head cross country coach, he won the laurel during the indoor campaign as well.
Drake is now the fourth-consecutive member of WPU’s staff to win the laurel on the men’s side as fellow assistant Zuva Bvekerwa claimed it during last year’s indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Drake’s athletes scored in seven different events, led by wins from D’Artagnon Beaver (Jr., Rockford, Ill., Human Services) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run.
Overall, William Penn placed second out of 12 teams.
On the men’s side, Myles Ellis of MidAmerica Nazarene won the Heart Track Athlete of the Meet award, while Colder Evans of Central Methodist won the Field Athlete of the Meet accolade. CMU’s Kenny Anderson was voted as Heart Coach of the Year by his peers.
On the women’s side, Track Athlete of the Meet honors went to Nikiwe Mongwe of MNU, while teammate Reanna Green took home the Field Athlete of the Meet recognition. Anthony Yates (MNU) and Jeff Barker (Mount Mercy) were named Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively.
The following are the all-Heart awards won by WPU male and female athletes:
First-team all-Heart (Heart champion)
D’Artagnon Beaver (Jr., Rockford, Ill., Human Services)–9:23.80 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; 15:27.13 in the 5,000-meter run
Showalter Johnson (Jr., Nassau, Bahamas, New Media)–10.40 in the 100-meter dash
Abigaille Batu-Tiako (Sr., Plattsburgh, N.Y., Business Management)–12.34 in the 100-meter dash
Brandon Williams (Jr., Fountain, Colo., Civil Engineering)–1:54.10 in the 800-meter run
Anthony Weaver (Fr., Demopolis, Ala., Mechanical Engineering)–47-7 in the triple jump
Second-team all-Heart (Second place)
Showalter Johnson–21.58 in the 200-meter dash
Jonah Heckenberg (Sr., Stockport, Iowa, Business Management)–4:02.66 in the 1,500-meter run
Nick Marshall (Jr., Glenpool, Okla., Human Services)–184-8 in the hammer throw at 184-8.
Men’s 4×800-meter relay–7:43.70
Third-team all-Heart (Third place)
John Webb (Fr., Dothan, Ala., Mechanical Engineering)–45-10 in the triple jump
Honorable-mention all-Heart (Fourth through sixth place)
Xzavion West (So., Guthrie, Ky., Undecided)–175-3 in the hammer (fourth) and 47-3 in the shot put (sixth)
Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay–49.02 (fourth)
Micah Mills (Fr., Houston, Texas, Psychology)–45-2.25 in the triple jump (fifth)
Alexandra Rose (Jr., Quincy, Ill., Exercise Science)–12.87 in the 100-meter dash (fifth)
Erica Martin (Sr., Detroit, Mich., Sports Management)–47-7.75 in the shot put (fifth)
Men’s 4×100-meter relay–42.45 (fifth)
Men’s 4×400-meter relay–3:23.92 (fifth)
Tahj Ferguson (Sr., Hartford, Conn., Psychology)–22-9.25 in the long jump (sixth)
Women’s 4×800-meter relay–10:11.71 (sixth)
