Oklahoma Baptist won its third women's indoor track and field national championship since 2005 Saturday with a one-point win over Sooner Athletic Conference rival Wayland Baptist.

The OBU men finished third.




Hoisting the national championship banner and representing the Lady Bison at the national meet were Yesenia Avila, Optimum Baker, Olivia Boisse, Verone Chambers, Nicole Cummings, Shondia Drew, Gayon Evans, Melissa Farias, Abby Lewis, Kimberly Maley, Andrea Melontree, Marissa Moseley, Sarah Paterson, Evan Shimanek, Brianna Shippy, Skylar Strahm and Alexis Thurmond.

The women's championship came down to the final event and the Lady Bison 4x400 relay team of Marissa Moseley, Sarah Patterson, Shondia Drew and Verone Chambers staged a national event championship with a 3:44.94 to put the entire team atop the final award stand.

The 4x400 gave the Lady Bison the one-point edge over Wayland Baptist, who finished second in the 4x400 by two seconds.

"We've won the 4x4 so many times that I knew we could win," said OBU coach Ford Mastin, who picked up his fifth NAIA Coach of the Year award.

OBU trailed Simon Fraser by eight and Wayland Baptist by a point heading into the race and was behind after three legs of the 4x400. Moseley had given OBU a lead, but Wayland Baptist had stacked the middle with talent and overtook OBU. Chambers made up the short deficit and won going away.

The 4x400 win gave 10 points to OBU, while Wayland picked up eight for second place. Simon Fraser didn't have an entry in the finals. It marked the third consecutive year that the national championship was determined by one point and the fourth season in a row that the title was won by less than two points. OBU also edged Wayland Baptist 52.33 to 51 in 2007. The Lady Bison won their first indoor title in 2005.

The relay win capped a day of big moments after the Lady Bison missed on 11 points they had been counting on and had come close with some athletes who were not projected to score.

"Everyone did something to contribute to this championship," Mastin said. "These are good kids. I feel badly for some of our girls who were seventh and eighth and just missed scoring, but they are a part of our success.

The Lady Bison finished with 68 points, followed by Wayland Baptist with 67 and Simon Fraser with 66.

"Never give up," Mastin said. "This meet was a testimony to the phrase ‘never give up.' We missed some points we thought we'd get but our kids stayed sharp and we never gave up."

OBU picked up 18 points in the 400 meters with Chambers winning in 56.27 with Moseley taking second at 56.61.

Another 18 came in the 200 meters with Gayon Evans taking second (24.26), Moseley third (24.35) and Chambers fourth (24.44).

Evans was second in the 60 meters at 7.49 for eight points and Chambers took second in the 60 hurdles at 8.63 for another eight. Brianna Shippy scored six with a third-place in the pole vault on Friday.

Abby Lewis was seventh in the high jump, clearing 5-5 and missed points by one fault. Nicole Cummings was 10th in the triple jump at 38-5. Lewis was seventh Thursday in the pentathlon, just missing the points with a 3357.  She was second in the shot put with a 35-0.5 and third in the high jump with a 5-5. Lewis was 11th in both the long jump and 800 and 13th in the hurdles.

The OBU women scored six points in the pole vault where Brianna Shippy was third at 12-1.5. Evan Shimanek was 11th at 11-1.75.

Olivia Boisse was ninth in the weight throw at 53-4.5 and Kim Maley was 21st at 48-9.5.

The OBU men got second in the 4x400 with Travis Bish, Ethan Mignard, Roman Gray and Jabar Rolle finishing in 3:13.08.

Andre Thomas was second in the 800 with a 1:51.88 for another eight Bison points.

OBU had five entrants but settled for six points in the pole vault, led by Jeff Lewis in third with a 16-4.75. David Gilliland was ninth and Andy Peffer was 14th, both at 15-5.

Bish was sixth in the 600 at 1:22.47.

Seagram Kern finished 18th in the triple jump, clearing 45-4.25.

On Friday, OBU won the men's 4x800 relay as Billy Christy, Cody Camacho, Andre Thomas and Jabar Rolle crossed the finish line in 7:36.60.

Bison high jumper Fletcher Carlyle cleared 7-1.75 to take home first place honors. The two OBU event wins has the Bison in second place with 20 points. Azusa Pacific leads with 28.

The Bison finished with 44 points. Azusa Pacific won with 71 and Wayland Baptist was second at 57.

Thirteen OBU athletes brought home 19 All-America honors. Moseley and Chambers had three teach, Evans and Thomas had two and Patterson, Drew, Shippy, Carlyle, Christy, Camacho, Rolle, Jeff Lewis and Bish all added one.

Complete Finals
WOMEN
Team Standings (top 5): 1. Oklahoma Baptist 68, Wayland Baptist 67, Simon Fraser 66, Azusa Pacific 57, Biola 40.
4x400 Relay - 1. OBU (Marissa Moseley-Sarah Patterson-Shondia Drew-Verone Chambers), 3:44.94
400 M - 1. Verone Chambers, 56.27; 2. Marissa Moseley, 56.61
60M - 2. Gayon Evans, 7.49
200M - 2. Gayon Evans, 24.26; 3. Marissa Moseley, 24.35; 4. Verone Chambers, 24.44
Pole Vault - 3. Brianna Shippy, 12-1.5; 11. Evan Shimanek 11-1.75
High Jump - 7. Abby Lewis, 5-5; Skylar Strahm no height
Women's Pentathlon - 7. Abby Lewis 3357
Weight Throw - 9. Olivis  Boisse, 53-4.5; 21. Kimberly Maley 48-9.5
Triple Jump - 10. Nicole Cummings, 38-5
Long Jump - 14. Nicole Cummings, 17-8

MEN
Team Standings (top 5): Azusa Pacific 71, Wayland Baptist 57, Oklahoma Baptist 44, Dickinson State 35, Malone 27.
High Jump - 1. Fletcher Carlyle, 7-1.75
4x800 - 1. Billy Christy, Cody Camacho, Andre Thomas and Jabar Rolle, 7:36.60
4x400 Relay - 2. OBU (Travis Bish-Ethan Mignard-Roman Gray-Jabar Rolle), 3:13.08
800M - 2. Andre Thomas, 1:51.88
Pole Vault - 3. Jeff Lewis, 16-4.75; 9. David Gilliland, 15-5; 14. Andy Peffer, 15-5; (no height Parker Jackson and Juan Gonzales)
600M - 6. Travis Bish, 1:22.47
Long Jump - 10. Roman Gray, 23-3.25
Triple Jump - 18. Seagram Kern, 45-5.25




MEN
WOMEN