WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.— The Montreat College men's track & field team traveled to JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C., to compete on Thursday and Friday in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships. Battling the league's top talent, the Cavaliers delivered an impressive showing with 21 scoring performances, nine All-Conference honors, and five individual event titles. Montreat amassed 110 total points over the course of the meet, securing a runner-up finish in the AAC standings.
Milligan University claimed the team title with 178.5 points, outpacing the field to secure the championship. Montreat's 110-point performance was strong enough to hold off Reinhardt University, who totaled 101 points to conclude third in the final standings.
Friday featured two individual champions and nine scoring performances for the Cavaliers. After seven scored events, Montreat stood in second place with 43 points, trailing Milligan by 11.5. Of the Cavaliers' 43 total points, 23 came in the 5000m.
Coming off a historic performance under a week ago, Nathan Cremin carried his momentum into Thursday evening with another commanding effort in the 1000m. The Gardner-Webb University transfer controlled the race from the outset, pulling away to win by more than five seconds, securing the event title and earning All-Conference honors. Cremin crossed the line in 2:21.36, comfortably surpassing the NAIA 'A' standard while shattering both the meet and facility records. The mark now stands as the fastest time in the NAIA this season, as well as the quickest performance in NAIA men's indoor track & field history.
"I felt great, honestly," Cremin shared. "I just listened to my coach. We talked before, knowing I had to keep a bit for the 600m on Friday. It was just to go out there, execute, not look at the clock and have fun."
Ryan Stade was the next Cavalier to claim an individual title, delivering a dominant effort in the 5000m. Stade crossed the line in 14:39.73 to secure All-Conference honors, surpassing the NAIA 'B' standard and establishing a new meet record in the process. Close behind, Brock Lauer turned in an impressive runner-up finish in 14:41.37. Lauer also cleared the 'B' standard and went under the previous meet record, while shaving more than 25 seconds off his prior personal-best mark to cap a breakthrough performance.
Saturday saw more continued success for Montreat. The Cavaliers notched 12 scoring performances, six of which were All-Conference efforts and three of which were event titles.
Stade's momentum carried into Friday as he opened the day with a statement performance in the 3000m. The Marysville, Kan., native claimed his second conference title in the event, surpassing the 'B' standard while clocking a personal-best 8:22.55. He followed that effort with another championship run in the mile, once again rising to the occasion. Stade crossed the line in 4:13.91 to secure the title, resetting the school and meet records while establishing yet another personal best in a dominant championship showing.
Drew Bryant kept the momentum rolling for the Cavaliers, claiming the long jump title early in the day. With a top leap of 6.60m, Bryant secured first place on the podium and earned All-Conference honors, adding another championship performance to Montreat's impressive meet resume.
Cremin delivered another historic showing on Friday, this time in the 600m. The Limerick, Ireland, native turned in a runner-up finish in a record-shattering race, rewriting the Montreat record book while also breaking the meet, facility and NAIA records and surpassing the 'A' standard. His time now stands as the second-fastest performance in the NAIA this year, trailing only the event winner, who matched the record-breaking feat in the same race.
Lauer turned in a strong effort on day two, earning All-Conference honors in the 3000m. He battled to a third-place finish, crossing the line in 8:39.96, just over a second shy of his personal-best time. Montreat wrapped up the championship meet with another podium performance in the 4x400m relay. The quartet of David Irabor, Cameron Rice, Jordan Pippin and Jackson Mace-Maynard secured an All-Conference finish with a third-place showing, closing the meet on a strong note for the Cavaliers.
Following the meet, two Cavs were recognized with major conference honors for their performances across the two-day championship. Stade was named the conference's Most Outstanding Performer after capturing three individual event titles in a dominant showing. Cremin also earned top recognition, being selected as the AAC Newcomer of the Year—an award presented to the conference's top athlete competing at the championship for the first time—capping an impressive debut on the league stage.
"We could not ask for a better group of young men to represent Montreat College," said head coach Jacob Simms. "With a slew of major performances, records and personal bests, this team continues to shine brightest when it matters most and in the way it matters most. This group is truly a gift from God."
For full results from the AAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, click here.
The Montreat men's track & field team will now turn its attention to the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The national meet is slated for March 5-7 in Gainesville, Fla.
