GULF SHORES, Ala.— The third and final day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. provided plenty of highlights for the Montreat men's and women's track and field teams, as the Cavaliers racked up four All-American performances, two school records and a program-best men's team finish. Tallying 28 points as a squad, the Montreat men's track and field team placed sixth, the best result in program history. Meanwhile, the Montreat women's track and field team tied for 72^nd.
 
Friday started off bright and early for the Cavaliers with both Nathan Richards and Lillie Siniard competing in the half marathon. On the men's side, Richards ran the half marathon better than any Montreat athlete ever has. Running the 13.1 miles in just 1:09:47, Richards not only set a school record, but he also finished with the third-fastest time of the day. That finish earned Richards NAIA All-American status, making him the first Cavalier to register such honors in the half marathon—it was also Richards' first All-American nod in his career.
 
Siniard was the final Montreat women's track and field athlete to compete at this year's NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and she also turned in an impressive half-marathon effort. The Pisgah Forest, N.C. native finished her 13.1 miles in 1:34:38, securing a top-20 result in the process (19^th place).
 
The Cavaliers also had a pair of competitors, Dylan Branch and Ruchen Blaauw, running in the men's 1,500m final Friday afternoon. Branch ran in the middle of the pack for the first half of the race, but in the latter half, particularly on the final lap, the third-year sophomore kicked it into high gear. The Avon Park, Fla. native ran a flawless final 400 meters to climb all the way into second place. Earning the third NAIA All-American honor of his career, Branch's 3:51.83 time was good for NAIA runner-up in the event.
 
Blaauw started off well in the 1,500m race, and he even led at the 700m and 1,100m marks. Unfortunately for Blaauw and the Cavs, a stumble down the final stretch slid the Cape Town, South Africa native into 13^th place with a time of 4:08.86.
 
Just one day after he claimed NAIA All-American status in the long jump, Dustin Blevins did the same in the triple jump. The King, N.C. native continue to prove himself as the king of jumps at Montreat, breaking his own school record Friday on his first attempt. Blevins bounded his way to a 15.16m mark, beating his career-best by 0.01m. But the triple jump performance wasn't just good by Montreat standards—it was the third-farthest mark posted on the afternoon. Along with the third-place result, Blevins took home his second All-American nod of the week and the eighth of his Cavalier career.
 
Jaja Davis was the final Montreat competitor at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and he made the most of it. The fifth-year senior from Virginia Beach, Va. hit 16.71m on his second shot-put heave of the afternoon, good for sixth place. That sixth-place finish meant Davis was the fourth Montreat men's track and field athlete to claim NAIA All-American honors on the final day of competition. For Davis, it was the second All-American nod in his Montreat track and field career.
 
"These athletes have really set the standard for the future of the Montreat track and field program," said head coach Chester Hightower. "With most of our athletes returning, I am excited about where we are headed. The best finish in Montreat men's outdoor track and field history—can't do anything but tip your hat to the student-athletes."
 
For a complete list of results from the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, click here.
 
The sixth-place team finish, as well as the 28 team points, are both Montreat men's track and field program records. The five total NAIA All-American performances are a team-best mark, also.