Bryan College Triangle

Senior Josh Bradley competes

by Tim Baldi
Staff Writer

Last Saturday, April 10, the Bryan College Track & Field team competed in the 44th annual Sea Ray Relays at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The event hosted nearly 1,200 athletes between Wednesday and Saturday.

Bryan runners placed fourth in the 4×800 meter, setting a new Bryan record and the second fastest time in the NAIA with 7 minutes and 42 seconds.

The finishing time also qualified Bryan’s 4×800 team for the NAIA Outdoor National Championship on May 27-29.

“We can compete with anybody,” said Head Coach Rodney Stoker. “It’s just a matter of believing it.”

The team was in second place behind Illinois State after the second leg of the race. However, two teams passed the Lions during the remaining two legs.

Freshmen Jason McLeod and Alex Stephens, sophomore Bryson Harper and senior Joshua Bradley competed in the relays on Friday and Saturday of last week.

“It was impressive how our boys competed,” said Stoker.

Read full story »

by Timothy Baldi
Staff Writer

AAC runner-up in the 2009 Outdoor 1,500 meter dash, sophomore Bryson Harper has been running track since eighth grade. He trained himself through high school but never experienced hardcore training until he was recruited by Coach Rodney Stoker to run track and cross country for Bryan College.

Now, Harper runs a 3 minute 59 second 1500-meter dash and set the school record with his 15:05 5-kilometer run.

At practice, Harper and the other members of the Track & Field team regularly run seven to 11 miles. However, Harper has been recovering from an injury to his left Achilles tendon that occurred early in the semester, so he is still working toward full running strength.

Harper had injured his right Achilles once already prior to his current injury this semester.

He said he has been more prone to injury since coming to Bryan, “not because Coach Stoker does anything wrong. I just have a tendency to keep pushing when my body needs a rest.”

Team practices begin at 6 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Harper also has practice every day in the afternoons. Read full story »

by Britney Weber
Staff Writer

We see them out running nearly every day, whether it is warm or cold, sunny, raining or snowing. Sometimes even twice a day. They put hours into training their bodies, toning their muscles and refining their movements. P90X is a common phrase in their vocabulary. Nearly every weekend they trade extra sleep for long bus rides. Ice baths and ice wraps are routine. Even in the summer they receive emails outlining the workouts they are to complete.

All because they love running.

It’s no wonder with this high level of dedication that the Bryan College Track & Field team continues to set records. This season promises to be no different. Read full story »

by Catherine Rogers
Staff Writer

Bryan College track and field team competed in Clemson (S.C.) University’s Tiger Tune Up this past Saturday where they took four top-five finishes and qualified four runners and a relay for the near NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

“We had a good weekend,” said Head Coach Rodney Stoker. “I didn’t have a lot of expectations. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the young kids, but one of our guys, who’s been All-American a few times, was expected to win his race, and he did.”

Stoker was referring to senior Josh Bradley, who took the top spot in the men’s 800-meter race with a season best time of 1:54.36. Read full story »

by Lana Douglas
staff writer

The men’s cross country team was ranked 9th nationally after winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship earlier this month but only managed a 27th-place showing at the NAIA National Championships last week.

The Nationals were held in Vancouver, Wash.,  on Nov. 21, and were hosted by Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia (Ore.) University.

The men’s team made it to Nationals two years ago; at that time the mindset was more “we made it,” said Coach Rodney Stoker. “This year the plan was to do really well.”

Stoker attributes the team’s overall performance to a bad day. A few of the guys were not feeling well and were not able to run as well as they did at the AAC championships, according to Stoker.

“More than anything I’m disappointed in myself…because they are way better than that,” said Stoker.

Bryson Harper and Zach Buffington led the Lions with 67th and 71st place finishes, and the team overall finished 27th.

Stoker has plans to train over winter and be ready for the indoor meets in the spring.

“We’ll be back,” said Stoker.