TRACK AND FIELD | MEN During the winter and spring track seasons, the Cougars put together a season for the ages with records shattered, rising stars and tremendous honors. Their big freshman phenom of the year was Spencer Carpenter, who rewrote the record books in his rookie season. On January 23 at Indiana Wesleyan, Carpenter finished first out of 12 runners in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:32.67, besting the runner-up from Grace by just .29 seconds. His time set a school record. Carpenter continued his success two weeks later when he earned NAIA A standard at the Midwest Classic by winning the 1,000-meter. The indoor season wrapped up with two Cougars placing first in their respective events at the Crossroads League Conference Championships: Carpenter and senior Jordan Konstanty. Konstanty threw for 18.99 meters in the weight throw on his last attempt to win the league title while also setting a school record, breaking his own record from the previous week. The senior finished first out of 21 throwers, beating the runner-up by 0.27 meters. Carpenter won the 1,000-meter run with a new conference record of 2:28.77. In the outdoor season, the Cougars set three school records at the Little State Invite hosted by Indiana Wesleyan: the 4x800 meter run, the 3,000-steeplechase and 800-meter run. At the Crossroads League Conference Outdoor Championships, Carpenter once again became the individual conference champion, this time at the 1,500 meters, with a time of 3:52.90, placing first out of 35 runners. Sophomore Joe Painter won the pole vault at 4.55 meters. The year concluded in Gulf Shores, Alabama, when the Cougars traveled down for the NAIA National Championships. Konstanty set a program record at the hammer throw by improving to 58.97 meters at the NAIA championships. He improved by 21 meters during his collegiate career, setting a record and earning All-American honors to cap off his collegiate career. Konstanty, Carpenter and Painter earned NAIA All-American honors during the 2021-22 track & field season. TRACK AND FIELD | WOMEN Fresh off becoming the cross country conference champion, junior Alex Ebetino took her performance straight into the indoor season, recording the then-top 3,000-meter time in the NAIA at the Mastodon Opener to begin the season. Junior Leah Hall also stepped up big during the indoor season, winning the mile at the Reggie Thomas Collegiate Classic and earning an NAIA B standard at the IWU Midwest Classic. At the Crossroads League Conference Championship, the team of Hall, freshman Audrey Zeigler, Ebetino and senior Hailley O’Neil finished second out of nine teams with a time of 12:17.26, shattering the previous school record of 12:31.71, also finishing nearly 16 seconds faster than the NAIA A standard. Throughout the indoor season, the team of sophomore Kristina Baum, Ebetino, Hall and O’Neill had the fourth-fastest mile squad in the NAIA with three individual national qualifiers. Ebetino and Hall earned NAIA All-American honors for the indoor season. Heading into the outdoor season, Hall had another breakout performance at the conference championships by winning the 10,000 meters and setting a USF and Crossroads League record. Her time of 36:37.99 in the 10,000 meters was almost one minute faster than the NAIA A standard, placing her top 10 in the NAIA. At the conference championships, Hall, freshman Mariah Maley, Ebetino and O’Neill earned 2022 All-Crossroads League Performer honors. At the NAIA National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Ebetino earned her sixth collegiate NAIA All- American Honor and second in outdoor track and field. Her time of 17:36.89 in the 5,000 meters placed her third out of 18 runners, and her time was also 19 seconds faster than her time of 17:55 at the Crossroads League Championship, where she won that event by over 10 seconds. Since being at Saint Francis, Ebetino has captured two All-American honors apiece in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Photography by Chad Ryan and provided by Athletics saint francis magazine | spring 2021 saint francis magazine | fall 2022 43