RESULTS

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Lee University track & field teams combined for five top 10 finishes as the Flames finished tied for 37^th and the Lady Flames tied for 50^th at the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The two-day event was held Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.

"This was a solid championship for us, we came away with 11 All-American honors and were able to score points in both team competitions," said Lee University head coach Caleb Morgan.

Cale Kassen led the way for the Lee men. He placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles to record all five of the team's points. Kassen crossed the finish line at 7.83 seconds, putting him 0.32 seconds behind the event winner Cordell Tinch of Pittsburg State. On Friday, Kassen advanced to Saturday's final with a Lee record time of 7.77 seconds. It was the top time in heat No. 2 and third-best overall.

The Lady Flames picked up a team point in the 4x400-meter relay. Kaia Martz, Kristen Blevins, Carissa Hall and Eve Hines combined for an eighth-place finish of 3:47.15. Northwest Missouri State University stopped the clock at 3:36.76 to post the win.

Kassen, along with the four members of the women's 4x400 team, earned First Team All-American honors for finishing in the top eight of their events.

Titus Lagat just missed First Team honors in the 800-meter run. He completed the race at 1:51.05 to finish ninth. In eighth and claiming the final First Team All-American honor in the even was Kewani Campbell of Lincoln (Mo.) who crossed the finish line at 1:50.83. Oussama El Bouchayby of Angelo State won with a time of 1:46.78.

Lagat earned a spot in Saturday's final with a third-place finish (1:52.74) in heat No. 1. His qualifying time was sixth overall.

Matthew Fowler placed 10^th in the 5000-meter run to join Lagat as a Second Team All-American. Fowler recorded a time of 14:16.79, while Dillon Powell of Colorado School of Mines was first at 13:48.13.

The women's distance medley relay team of Liza Kellerman, Lily Hare, Aria Hawkins and Hine picked up a 10^th-place finish to add to the Second Team All-American tally. The foursome combined for a time of 11:48.58. Grand Valley State grabbed the championship with a time of 11:12.47.

Deborah Rubin was Lee's lone competitor in the field events. Rubin began the weight throw competition with a toss of 16.83 meters. Her second throw went 17.19 meters and stood as her best after the third was marked at 16.18 meters. Rubin completed the event in 15^th position.

"Obviously this is a rebuilding year for us as much as we don't like to use that term," added Morgan. "With the roster we have, we should be a much better team in the outdoor season. We are eager to get on our home track and continue to build upon indoor."

The outdoor season is scheduled to begin March 23-24 at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina, and with the squads hosting the Lee Invitational on March 25.