Day 3 Recap: Point Park men earn their highest team placement, Eze 14th in TJ

MARION, Ind. -- When the dust settled on the final day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, the Point Park University men's program earned its highest team placement ever at the national championship. The Pioneers placed 30th in the nation after the final team totals were scored for Day 3 on Friday at the national outdoor meet. 

The Pioneers were just two points outside the NAIA Top 25 but still earned their highest showing ever at nationals. That was with three NAIA All-Americans -- their most ever at a single national meet. NAIA All-American status must be achieved by an athlete in order for them to score points for their team. The Pioneers had Jakob Blatnik (third) and Daniel Jacobs (fifth) score in the javelin, and Daimere Stephens-Stewart (eighth) got on the board in the long jump. 

There were 76 teams at the NAIA national championship. The Pioneers were one of just 33 schools that got double-digit points. Huntington was the last team in the Top 25 with 13 points. Point Park's previous high team placement was 40th at the 2018 outdoor national meet. 

The final day of this year's championship had Collins Eze compete in the triple jump. The River States Conference champion came through with a high finish of 14th place in the nation. Eze, a junior from Nigeria, had a leap of 14.23 meters, which is 46 feet, 8.25 inches.

Eze had his best jump in his third and final attempt of the prelims. He built up to that distance improving in each of his three jumps. Eze came up about 18 inches shy of being in the top nine needed to advance to finals for a shot at NAIA All-American. 

Eze came into the NAIA national meet seeded 24th. He improved on that by 10 spots with his performance on Friday. Eze competed at NAIA nationals twice this year taking 13th in the indoor triple jump and now 14th in outdoor. His year also included being RSC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and RSC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.