Wait until next year

JBU track and field loses outdoor season

The first outdoor track and field season in more than 30 years at John Brown University will have to wait another year.

The Golden Eagles men’s and women’s teams were scheduled to attend their first outdoor meet of the season at the Central Arkansas Spring Opener in Conway on March 14.

Just days before the event, JBU made the decision to pull out of attending the event over concerns of the covid-19 pandemic, according to head coach Scott Schochler.

The UCA meet, along with every other outdoor meet on JBU’s schedule, wound up getting canceled after that. It would have been JBU’s first outdoor season since the late 1980s, according to JBU Sports Information.

JBU also moved to online classes and the Sooner Athletic Conference suspended practices and competitions for the rest of the semester, effectively ending JBU’s track season.

“The disappointment for most of our athletes was pretty high,” Schochler said of the lost season. “For some it was a little bit of a relief to get home, because I think some of them were a little nervous about the situation. Certainly for me and the rest of our coaching staff at JBU and our volunteer coaches at JBU in track and field, I don’t know if it was mourning or type of grief of losing what we were hoping to see.”

John Brown got a small glimpse of its track and field athletes during the indoor season in February and early March.

A group of Golden Eagles competed at the Missouri Southern State Lion Invite on Feb. 7-8 in Joplin, and JBU also participated at the Pittsburg State Indoor Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kan.

Through her performances in those meets, sophomore Allika Pearson qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, which were held

March 5-7 in Brookings, S.D.

Those indoor events led JBU into its outdoor season, which started with the Central Arkansas Spring Opener on March 14 and included the Southwest Baptist (Mo.) Bearcat Invite on April 4, the William Jewell College (Mo.) Darrel Gourley Open on April 11, the Baker (Kan.) Zach Kindler Wildcat Invite on April 25 and the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships on May 21-23 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Schochler said he was looking forward to watching the Golden Eagles compete and highlighted a few of the athletes who were beginning to make strides.

Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information John Brown junior Eathan Devine (from left), senior Nate Wertjes, head coach Scott Schochler and freshman Jadin Whiting have a post-race discussion after the distance medley relay at the Missouri Southern State Lion Invite held in early February in Joplin, Mo. The entire outdoor track and field season for JBU was canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic.

Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information John Brown freshmen Jadin Whiting (left) and Drew Birnbaum run the indoor 5K at the Missouri Southern State Lion Invite back in February in Joplin, Mo.

Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information Junior Sarah Larson runs the indoor 5K at the Missouri Southern State Lion Invite held in Joplin, Mo., in early February.