REMAINING SOU SCHEDULE (All times Pacific)
Friday, May 22
12:40 p.m. – Women's 400m final (Pickett)
1:35 p.m. – Women's 5,000m (Johnson)
1:55 p.m. – Men's 5,000m (Stedman, Weisgerber)

Watch Live | Live Results

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Alyssa Johnson repeated as a 10K All-American, Mason Weisgerber earned his first in the event and Lilly Pickett broke one of the longest-standing Southern Oregon records to qualify for the 400-meter final, all on Day 2 of the NAIA Outdoor Championships at Karl Straus Track.

Johnson placed third in Thursday night's 10,000-meter final, finishing in 35 minutes 32.23 seconds. It was the second fastest time of the junior's career as she improved upon a seventh-place showing at last year's championships. 

She led the first lap of the race, splitting 1:30.65 before settling into fifth by the 800-meter mark.

The lead pack of four, which included Heather Murphy (Montreat, N.C.), Alina Boshchuk (Cumberlands, Ky.), Patrober Jepchirchir (Cumberlands) and Grace Steimetz (Bellevue, Neb.), separated from the field, leaving Johnson to lead the chase pack.

Johnson trailed Steimetz by 10 seconds after six laps, before catching her five laps later at the 4,800-meter mark. At that point, the deficit between third-place Jepchirchir still remained 14 seconds. Johnson kept clipping off 85s and eventually surged with an 83-second lap to overtake Jepchirchir after 7,200 meters, holding third to the finish line. 

In the men's 10K, Weisgerber became the highest finishing Raider in program history, placing fifth in 30:33.63. The junior sat in seventh with six laps remaining before passing Dickinson State's (N.D.) the next lap to move into sixth. He then passed Goshen's (Ind.) Duncan Kogei over the next 400 meters to move into fifth. He stayed there the rest of the way to earn his first All-American honor in the event. 

Johnson earned her third All-American honor on the track and fifth overall. Weisgerber attained his second outdoor All-American honor and fourth overall.

Both 10,000-meter races were originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but were postponed due to weather delays. Murphy won the women's race in 34:49.16 and Luca Madeo from the Cumberlands repeated as the men's champion (29:50.28).  

Earlier in the day, Pickett set a new Southern Oregon 400-meter record and qualified for Friday's eight-person final in the process. The freshman finished second in her heat and seventh overall in 54.78 to earn the little 'q'. 

She broke Tiwana Merrit's 25-year-old record of 55.11, becoming the first woman in SOU history to run under 55 seconds. It was the 10th fastest time in the NAIA this year and a personal best by over half a second. 

Pickett will run in lane one of Friday's 12:40 p.m. final and Johnson will return to run the 5K at 1:35 p.m. Weisgerber will also double and be joined by Carter Stedman in the men's 5K at 1:55 p.m. 

SOU WOMEN'S RESULTS
400 Meter Prelims (25 total entries) 
7. Lilly Pickett, 54.78-q [NAIA No. 10, SOU No. 1]

10,000 Meters (19)
3. Alyssa Johnson, 35:32.23

Pole Vault (20)
10. Katherine Martinez, 3.78m (12-4 ¾)
11. Sydney Perkins, 3.68m (12-0 ¾)

SOU MEN'S RESULTS
10,000 Meters (18 total entries)
5. Mason Weisgerber, 30:33.63