Bruins earn three podium finishes/three school records at Sioux City Relays

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Bruin track athletes produced three podium (top five) finishes and three school records at the 59th annual Sioux City Relays held over Friday and Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium on the campus of Morningside University. Wind and cool springtime weather finally made way for sunny skies and calm winds, and the Bruins responded with many season-best performances.

Day one brought school record number one and two top-five finishes. The Bruins had four entrants in the 800-meter run and Richard Marcoux shaved about two-tenths of a second from his school record, crossing in 1:56.68, good for seventh place overall. Every other Bruin either improved on their season bests or set a lifetime personal best. Saba Khvichava continued his return to fitness, clocking a season-best 2:01.79, while Griffin Kipchumba made his debut in 2:06.00, and Robbie Siford took nearly two seconds from his life best in 2:09.90.

The first podium finish of the day came later in the evening under the lights in the women's 10,000-meter run as Madison Nelson returned to the track after being away from racing since she was an All-American at the 2023 cross country championships in November. Nelson turned in the second-best time in Bruin history, placing fifth in 38:42.45, which is the 24th fastest time recorded in the NAIA so far this Spring.

The final event of the first day was the women's 5,000-meter run, where Alicia Rivera Camargo ran a 24-second personal best, placing sixth in 19:53.78. That time is currently seventh on the Bruin All-Time list.

Day two began with Collin Kotz capturing a Sioux City Relays championship in the men's steeplechase. Kotz broke his own school record in the steeple by three seconds and currently stands at number 26 in the NAIA.

Finally, the 1500-meter run saw one woman and five men entered for the Bruins. Alicia Rivera Camargo finished ninth among the women in 5:24.42. The men then took to the track with results similar to the 800, with a school record, two season bests (and one tie), and a lifetime best. Richard Marcoux ran to his second school record and a second-place overall finish in 4:04.85, a reduction of nearly eight seconds from his old record. Collin Kotz also finished in the top ten, clocking 4:18.05 in a season-best, while Saba Khvichava made his season debut in 4:25.04. Griffin Kipchumba tied his season and lifetime best with 4:30.54, while Robbie Siford crushed his old lifetime best by six seconds in 4:37.96.

Head Coach Craig Christians: "We really had a couple of great days in Sioux City with a little help from the weather but mostly from the work that the group has been putting in. Coach Musiel has introduced some great workouts, the team is buying in, and our fitness is improving. It's fun to watch the process and see the results. I'm sure that we aren't done setting personal bests and school records this Spring."

The Bruins will compete again at next weekend's Jim Dutcher Invitational hosted by Doane.