For the first time in program history, UNG’s Track and Field team sent athletes to compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships as Journey Gurley, Bree Hammond and Abigail Kirkland qualified for the event.
Those firsts only continued on Thursday, May 27 when Gurley won the National Championship in pole vault with a successful vault over 4.25 meters, becoming the school’s first National Champion in Track and Field.
Gurley started out the event by clearing 3.80 meters on her first attempt, but committed her first strike at 3.95 meters before clearing on her second attempt. After a first clearance at 4.05 meters, Gurley needed all three attempts to clear 4.15 meters.
After vaulting over 4.25 meters on her first attempt, Gurley sat aside and watched the final two competitors strike out at the height to clinch the national championship.
With the championship, Gurley brings only the second-ever national championship to North Georgia, joining the 2015 UNG Softball team.
Hammond followed up Gurley’s performance with a 12th place finish in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase Friday.
Through the first 600 meters, Hammond sat in fourth place overall with a split time of 2:03.54. The pace picked up quickly at the 1000 meter split as the field began to separate.
Hammond crossed the finish line at a time of 10:52.84, breaking the program record that she held by nearly 16 seconds.
Kirkland finished off the weekend for the Nighthawks with a seventh place finish in the 400 Meter Finals, running a lap time of 55.30.
Kirkland ran a lap time of 55.30, good for second in the program record book all-time.
Altogether, the three North Georgia athletes combined for 12 points, putting UNG in a tie with Pittsburg State and Texas A&M-Commerce for 19th overall in the Championships.
