Central Point’s Le Bel places second in pole vault to help boost Raiders at NAIA Outdoor Championships

MARION, Ind. — Runner-up finishes for Carson Le Bel in the pole vault and Frankie Maciel in the 5,000 meters gave Southern Oregon a big finishing kick that included three additional All-America performances as the NAIA Outdoor Championships wrapped up Friday at the IWU Track & Field Complex.

The Raiders left the meet with eight total All-America medals, finishing 11th in the women’s and 15th in the men’s team standings. Abi Stevens (high jump) and Alyssa Johnson (5K) both collected their second of the week, placing fourth and eighth respectively, and Mason Weisgerber (5K) claimed his first by placing eighth.

Le Bel cleared 16 feet, 3 inches (4.95m) in the pole vault to earn his third All-American honor and first top-two finish. The junior from Central Point cleared the first three heights on his second attempt, passed at 4.90 meters, and got over 4.95 on his first try. He improved upon last year’s eighth-place finish and a fourth-place indoor effort, becoming the highest-placing Raider in the event since 2008.

Maciel took second in the men’s 5K, finishing in 14 minutes, 28.92 seconds. The senior’s second All-America performance came on the heels of a seventh-place finish in Wednesday night’s 10K. He ran a 59.8-second final lap to jump from third to second, finishing just a tick behind champion Jude DeVries of The Master’s (Calif.). Not far behind, the sophomore Weisgerber’s time of 14:42.60 was nine seconds ahead of ninth-place finisher Luca Madeo of Cumberlands (Ky.), Wednesday night’s 10K champion.

Before Maciel and Weisgerber, only one men’s runner in SOU history, 2015 champion Dylan Alexander, had been a 5K All-American.

Stevens enjoyed her top high-jump finish yet at a national meet, placing fourth with a height of 1.69 meters (5-07). It was her seventh All-America honor in the event and her fourth consecutive podium finish at outdoor nationals. She finished her career as a 15-time All-American and two-time national champion, having won her second title a day earlier in the heptathlon.

Johnson, a sophomore, attained All-America status for the third time after doing so in cross country during the fall and in the 10K on Wednesday. She completed the 5K in 17:15.97 to become the second woman in Raider history to earn the accolade in the race, joining 2017 champion Jessa Perkinson. Cammeo Ramirez finished strong behind her, placing 11th in 17:36.48.

The pair was running for the third day in a row. Ramirez, a senior and another cross country All-American, was ninth in Wednesday’s 10K.

The last Raider in action was junior Kobe Johnson, who placed 17th in the shot put with a throw of 16.17 meters in his first national meet appearance.

SOU’s final All-America count was the team’s highest at the meet in eight years.