Tristan Trevino, Relay Dominance Leads Marian Men; Katie Woods Wins 1,000, Anchors Winning DMR For Women

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photos courtesy Marian University

Marian University used middle-distance strength to win men’s and women’s team titles Saturday in the NAIA Indoor Championships at Gainesville, Fla.

It was the first NAIA sweep since Indiana Tech did so in 2017.

Marian repeated as men’s champion, beating runner-up Cumberlands (Ky.) 66-52. Indiana Tech was third with 42.5 and William Carey (Miss.) fourth with 42.

Out of 21 events, Marian men scored in nine.

The Knights capped the meet with an emphatic 3:10.24 victory by Eli Givens, AJ Kelly, Tre Jones and Eric Materna in the 4x400-meter relay.

Marian also won the 4x800 relay Friday in a meet record of 7:27.72 by Mason Piatt, Ben Riehle, Charles Leedke and Tristan Trevino.

Trevino was a triple winner, taking the mile over Trinity Western’s Justin Kiplagat, 4:04.25 to 4:04.34. Trevino then anchored Marian to first in the distance medley relay.

Most valuable performer was Dutch sprinter Netanel Dorothea of Madonna (Mich.). He won the 400 in 46.69 and 200 in 21.02.

Irish runner Nathan Cremin of Montreat (N.C.) set a meet record of 2:22.26 in the 1,000, winning by three seconds.

Elsewhere, Ghanian sprinter Barnabas Aggerh of William Carey won the 60 in 6.64 and Koby Higginbotham of William Penn (Iowa) the 60 hurdles in 7.82.

Tavon Davis of Cumberlands won a hot 600 over Corlando Chambers of Central Methodist (Mo.), 1:16.20 to 1:16.32.

Romaine Lewis of William Carey was first in the triple jump at 52-4 (15.95m).

Coach of the year for men and women was Katie Wise-Butler of Marian. Wise-Butler, 32, is a former Indiana State sprinter and high school state champion.

Marian is a private Catholic university in Indianapolis with undergraduate enrollment of about 2,700.  These NAIA championships were its eighth and ninth over all sports. The others: football (2012, 2015); women’s basketball (2016, 2017); women’s volleyball (2019); men’s indoor track (2025); men’s bowling (2025).

Marian has also won more than 50 national championships in collegiate cycling.

Marian’s Katie Woods Wins 1,000, DMR

Indiana schools have won six of the past seven women’s titles, including Huntington in 2020 and Indiana Tech from 2021-24.

In winning their first NAIA title, Marian women scored in eight of 21 events and totaled 51 points.

Dickinson State (N.D.) was second with 41 and Central Methodist third with 33. Indiana Wesleyan and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) tied for fourth with 30.

Most valuable performer was Marian’s Katie Woods.

After Woods finished second in the mile in 4:47.33, she and teammate Summer Rempe went 1-2 in the 1,000 in 2:47.68 and 2:49.14, respectively. Rempe and Woods were on the team that won the distance medley relay in 11:39.21, securing the team championship.

Olivet Nazarene’s Heidi Heldt won the mile in 4:43.33 and was third in the 1,000.

Outstanding performer was NAIA cross country champion Jaynie Halterman of Taylor (Ind.). She repeated in the 5,000, breaking her own meet record with a time of 15:52.27.

Adrianna Rodencal of Concordia (Neb.) won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.25.

Sprint champions were Warner (Fla.) freshman Blessing Ogundiran, a 26-year-old Nigerian, 7.31 in the 60; Tonyan Beckford of St. Thomas (Fla.), 23.65 in the 200; Charity Jones of Madonna (Mich.), 53.51 in the 400.

Contact David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com.