GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Embry-Riddle women's track & field team concluded the 2014 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday night in Gulf Shores, Ala. at the Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium. The Eagles added 11 All-Americans on the final day of competition to finish in seventh place overall and cap off a successful 2014 season.
The Eagles earned their first All-Americans of the day with the 4x100m relay. The relay squad of Shonte Miller, Kristina Kendrick, Camaria Cannon and Kandice Dixon finished in eighth place overall in 47.61, earning one point towards the team total.
Ellie Staker earned her first All-American honor of the day in the 1500m race. Hillary Holt from the College of Idaho and Hannah Helker from Oklahoma Baptist came out fast in the midday race, leaving the battle for third place. Staker kept a steady pace in third for most of the race but was challenged by two British Columbia runners forcing Staker to kick it into high gear down the last stretch. Staker held on to take third place in 4:27.23, earning six points towards the team total.
The Eagles earned their second All-American honors of the day, as Reta Woodard placed runner-up in the discus. Heading into the competition Woodard was seeded 15th overall, but she came out with a bang winning her flight with a season best mark of 46.65m. Woodard's mark proved good enough to take home runner-up honors earning an unexpected eight points for the team total, finishing just behind Jennifer Maag from Hastings who had a 48.25m mark. Woodard rounds out her Eagle career as a six-time outdoor All-American.
Staker returned to the track, a little over an hour after placing third in the 1500m race, to compete in the 800m race. With temperatures in the 90's Staker battled for second the entire race. Once Staker passed the 200m mark, she once again kicked it up a notch and challenged the leader down the back stretch eventually taking the runner-up spot just 68 milliseconds behind the winner Devan Wiebe from British Columbia. Staker's second All-American honor of the day put eight points towards the ERAU team total.
The Eagles ended the day with four more All-Americans in the 4x400m relay. Heading into the finals the Blue and Gold were seeded eighth, but they far exceeded expectations finishing in fifth overall. Dixon raced a great first leg and handed off to Ellie Staker who held the position. Kendrick in the third leg put some distance between the last place runners and handed to Marina LeVine for the anchor leg. LeVine put more distance between the back of the pack and caught up and nearly passed the fourth place team. The Eagles crossed the finish line in fifth place in 3:50.48, earning All-American honors and four final points to the ERAU team total.
The Blue and Gold finished the national meet with 37 total points and in seventh overall. Indiana Tech took home the team title with 102 points, Oklahoma Baptist was second with 101 points, British Columbia rounded out the top three teams with 95 points.
After the Eagles' success on the track the 2014 Daktonics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards were announced with Kendrick, Staker and Aleiyah Ross earning the honor.
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