ELSAH, Ill. - Wiliam Woods University's 4x800-meter relay team of Ian Schwierjohn, Oshawi Burgher, Ethan Wilson and Blaine Brodersen made history with an American Midwest Conference Indoor Championships record time of 7 minutes and 50.87 seconds, hitting the NAIA 'A' standard and winning the event in the process as the Owls placed second out of nine teams with 142 points Saturday at Coach Crafton Center.

"I can't be more proud of how these young men banded together and fought for that second place overall finish," William Woods track and field coach Anthony Stockton said.

The Owls' 4x800 team required a strong finish to win the championship. They took the title by 0.02 seconds over rival Columbia College, which topped the team leaderboard with 242 points.  

That wasn't WWU's only relay first-place finish, with its distance medley relay team of Dustin Russell, Wyatt Martin, Gabriel Soest and Kyle Hagemeyer breezing past the competition at 11:20.82, 3.42 ahead of runner-up CC. 

A pair of Owls on their record-breaking 4x800 team added an individual championship with personal record times: Schwierjohn won the mile at 4:26.75, 1.93 in front of a second-place Cougar, and Burgher brought home first-place honors in the 600-meter run at 1:24.07, 0.65 past the runner-up from Missouri Baptist University.

Rounding out their six individual/relay championships, The Woods stood at the top of the podium in two jump events: Jamel Jones earned gold in the long jump at a PR 6.54 meters (21 feet and 5½ inches), 0.06m (2¼ inches) further than the sliver medalist from Columbia, and Ben Speaks received his first individual AMC championship by winning the triple jump at 13.25m (43-5¾), surpassing the runner-up Cougar by 0.14m (5½ inches).

Jenson Starr in the 5k (15:09.18) and Schwierjohn in the 1k (PR of 2:39.21) added a pair of second-team All-AMC displays to the Owls' collection.

Five more All-AMC showings were included in The Woods' 13 total for the meet through third-team placings. Achieving those third-place finishes were the Owls' Demario Wright in the 400 dash (52.33), Brodersen in the 600 run (1:26.58), Soest in the 800 run (PR of 2:02.82), Starr in the 3k (9:03.54) and WWU's 4x400 relay team of Brady Musgrove, Brennen Stinson, Brodersen and Angel Lottie (3:32.7).

Jacob Polacek was named William Woods' Champions of Character representative.

This was the Owls' final AMC Indoor Championships. Over the course of 17 conference championships, they notched four team championships and 75 individual/relay titles.

"Overall, this is a testament to the recruitment process of the previous coaches, the hard work of the current staff and these young men's ability to fight through adversity," Stockton said. "Looking forward to outdoor and actually living up to the lofty goals I have set out. We will come back better and stronger."

Taking the trip to the 60th Annual NAIA Men's Indoor Track & Field National Championship with the 11th best time in the association this season, William Woods' 4x800 relay team competes in the preliminary race at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 27 at Alachua County Sports & Events Center in Gainesville, Florida.

2025 AMC Indoor Track and Field Championships Final Standings
1. Columbia 242
2. William Woods 142
3. Missouri Baptist 137
4. Haskell Indian Nations 42
5. Hannibal-LaGrange 36
6. Harris-Stowe State 32
7. UHSP 28
8. Williams Baptist 21
9. Central Baptist 17

WWU's Individual Results

Long Jump
1 - Jamel Jones 6.54m (21-5½) (PR, prev. 6.38m [20-11¼])
4 - Ben Speaks 6.41m (21-½) (PR, prev. 6.37m [20-10¾])

Weight Throw
18 - Tanner Gillaspy 10.41m (34-2) (First Collegiate Distance)

High Jump
7 - Gabriel Soest 1.78m (5-10) (PR, 1.75m [5-9])
8 - Blaine Brodersen 1.73m (5-8)
10 - Jacob Polacek 1.73m (5-8)

Triple Jump
1 - Ben Speaks 13.25m (43-5¾)
4 - Jamel Jones 12.8m (42-0)
8 - Jacob Polacek 11.98m (39-3¾) (PR, prev. 11.94m [39-3¾]

Shot Put 
DNS - Tanner Gillaspy

Distance Medley Relay
1 - Dustin Russell, Wyatt Martin, Gabriel Soest and Kyle Hagemeyer 11:20.82

4x800-Meter Relay
1 - Ian Schwierjohn, Oshawi Burgher, Ethan Wilson and Blaine Brodersen (AMC Record!) (NAIA 'A' Standard & 11th in the NAIA)

5,000-Meter Run
2 - Jenson Starr 15:09.18
10 - Kyle Hagemeyer 16:44.93
12 - Dustin Russell 17:48.54
15 - Mason Voegeli 20:04.47 (First Collegiate Time)

60-Meter Dash Prelims
7 - Demario Wright 7.21 
10 - Brennen Stinson 7.36
12 - Jacob Polacek 7.4
15 - Ben Speaks 7.44
24 - Angel Lottie 8.21

One-Mile Run
1 - Ian Schwierjohn 4:26.75 (PR, 4:28.42)
 7 - Justus Yates 4:40.35 (PR, 5:19.25)
13 - Chais Paul 5:16.12

400-Meter Dash
3 - Demario Wright 52.33
6 - Brady Musgrove 53.36 
7 - Angel Lottie 53.56
8 - Wyatt Martin 54.09
14 - Keeley DiBlasi 58.93 

60-Meter Dash Final
8 - Demario Wright 7.9

600-Meter Run
1 - Oshawi Burgher 1:24.07 (PR, prev. 1:25.51)
3 - Blaine Brodersen 1:26.58
6 - Tanner Gillaspy 1:30.06
7 - Wyatt Martin 1:30.37 (First Collegiate Time)
9 - Justus Yates (1:31.54) (First Collegiate Time)
11 - James Ruck 1:33.6 

800-Meter Run
3 - Gabriel Soest 2:02.82 (PR, 2:05.83)
DNS - Ethan Wilson

1,000-Meter Run
2 - Ian Schwierjohn 2:39.21 (PR, prev. 2:45.28)
6 - Blaine Brodersen 2:447.17
14 - James Ruck 3:16.49 (First Collegiate Time)
DNF - Oshawi Burgher

200-Meter Dash
4 - Demario Wright 22.88 (PR, prev. 22.93)
12 - Jacob Polacek 23.72
16 - Ben Speaks 24.18
20 - Brady Musgrove 24.47
25 - Keeley DiBlasi 25.21 
27 - Tanner Gillaspy 25.29

3,000-Meter Run
3 - Jenson Starr 9:03.54
12 - Dustin Russell 9:55.04
17 - Mason Voegeli 11:17.38 (First Collegiate Time)
DNS - Kyle Hagemeyer

4x400-Meter Relay
3 - Brady Musgrove, Brennen Stinson, Blaine Brodersen and Angel Lottie 3:32.7