Knodle Sweeps Meet MVP Awards At MVC Championships

Saturday, February 27

Cedar Falls, Iowa

9:30 a.m.

University of Northern Iowa

MVC Indoor Championships

Knodle Sweeps Meet MVP Awards At MVC Championships

2/28/2016 6:46:00 PM | Track and Field

Final Results | Team Scores

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa wrapped up competition at the MVC Championships on Sunday, with Paige Knodle and Brandon Carnes brining home top honors.

Knodle finished the meet as the highest female point scorer, earning MVC Women's Most Valuable Athlete of the Meet, Most Outstanding Track Athlete and Most Outstanding Field Athlete.

She started the day with a win in the women's 60 meter hurdles, posting a UNI, MVC and MVC meet record time of 8.24 for the victory. It beat her previous personal-record of 8.31 that she ran in the 60 meter hurdles during the pentathlon on Saturday.

On the men's side, Carnes was named MVC Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete after defending his titles in the 60 and 200 meter dashes. He now holds 10 conference titles under his belt between the indoor and outdoor seasons. He broke the MVC meet record in the 60 dash with his winning time of 6.69, followed by a PR tying time of 21.30 in the 200 meters.

The UNI women finished third overall in the team competition, its highest finish since 2008. The UNI men finished fifth overall.

In the 60 hurdles, Daurice Fountain capitalized off Knodle's momentum in the women's race by posting the fastest time of his career. Fountain earned all-conference, placing third overall with a personal-best time of 7.99.

Corey Hertz joined Carnes in the finals of the men's 200 meters, scoring his first career team points at a Valley meet with a seventh place finish overall (22.31). He also was UNI's top finisher in the men's 400 meter dash, placing fourth overall with a time of 49.04, with Brett McCalla rounding out the top-five in fifth (49.25).

In the women's race, Maddie Beeler earned her first individual indoor all-conference honor after placing third in the 400. She ran a new personal-best time in the event, finishing in 55.85.

Picking up another championship for the Panther women was senior Amber Clock in the women's 800 meters, coming from behind with a time of 2:14.39 for the win. She was followed closely by last year's 800 title winner, Brette Correy, earning all-conference for the second consecutive season with a second place finish (2:14.46). Ashley Norem was UNI's third and final point scorer in the 800, placing sixth overall with a time of 2:15.20.

The men's 800 meter run finals had two representatives from the Panthers, with Luke Johnston and Jordan Pingel both turning in strong performances. Johnston came around with a late surge in the race to claim fourth overall (1:53.60) while Pingel placed sixth in his first MVC final with a time of 1:54.62.

Moving into the field events, Kassidy Sharp and Shawn Koch both earned all-conference honors, finishing second and third in the high jump and triple jump, respectively. Sharp finished the women's high jump competition with a height of 5-7.00 with Chaley Rath also scoring team points after tying for sixth overall.

In the triple jump, Koch jumped a mark of 49-1.50, ranking him fifth all-time at UNI. On the women's side, Tatiana Rice posted a huge personal-best, placing eighth overall with a mark of 39-3.00 that puts her in fourth all-time as a Panther.

In the throws, the men had three athletes score for the second day in a row, with Brad Walski, Jake Humpal and Isaac Holtz all placing in the top-eight. Walski finished in fourth overall with a season-best toss of 55-7.50. Humpal placed fifth overall with a career-best mark of 55-2.00 with Holtz in eighth place, going for a throw of 52-10.75.

In the 4X400 meter relay, the women's team of Maddie Bell, Beeler, Maddie Irmen and Knodle finished fourth overall with a time of 3:48.32. The men's team wrapped up a great day of competition in their 4X400 meter relay, with a strong anchor leg from Evan Long to earn all-conference and a second place finish overall. The team of Long, McCalla, Hertz and Raheem Black finished with a time of 3:18.87.