OKLAHOMA CITY -- John Brown University has been named the host of the 2023 Sooner Athletic Outdoor Track and Field Championships, an event that will take place on April 28-29 at JBU's Glenn W. Black Stadium in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, the conference office announced Monday morning (April 17).
"JBU is very excited to host the SAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2023," Robyn Daugherty, JBU Director of Athletics noted. "I believe we did a fantastic job with the SAC Invitational this past year – providing all of the student-athletes and coaches with an excellent experience.
"When we partnered with the Siloam Springs School District in renovation a few years ago, our hope was that we would begin having regular meets and host postseason events. What a great opportunity for JBU and the Siloam Springs community to welcome the Sooner Athletic Conference teams to town."
The last outdoor track and field championship in the Sooner Athletic Conference was held in 2014 at Oklahoma Baptist University. However, due to league membership changes and hosting requirements, the league went without an official championship meet until John Brown University was able to step in and put an end to the eight-year hiatus of the championships.
"We're excited to partner with John Brown University for the 2023 Sooner Athletic Outdoor Track and Field Championships," said John Martin, Sooner Athletic Commissioner. "The recent upgrades to Glenn W. Black Stadium make it an excellent choice for hosting a high-caliber event like ours. We're confident that Coach Schochler and the top-notch staff at John Brown University will make this championship event a success."
The groundwork for hosting the league's championship meet came back in 2018 when JBU announced the addition of men's and women's track and field programs, headed up by men's and women's cross country coach, Scott Schochler. Now in his 10th season at the helm of the running programs, Schochler looks forward to welcoming athletes, coaches, and fans from across the conference to campus for the event.
"This is a great honor for our program to host the first conference championship track and field meet in nearly a decade," said Schochler. "It is great for our conference and great for our program to, once again, have a championship meet. It allows us the opportunity to give our student-athletes a championship-level experience and showcase our student-athletes and facility to the community. This is another step forward as the track and field program at John Brown University continues to mature and become a championship program."
JBU invested $400,000 in renovations to the historic Glenn W. Black Stadium, a shared facility with the Siloam Springs School District, and included rebuilding the sub-surface of the track, installing a higher-quality running surface, and making improvements to field event areas. A steeple chase pit area was also installed on the south end of the track, while the stadium itself underwent a renovation that included the removal of the west stands and the remodeling of the press box, grandstands, and public restrooms.
The two-day event from April 28-29 will feature top athletes from 11 conference universities in a range of 23 events, including sprints, hurdles, relays, long jump, high jump, shot put, and discus.
The 2023 Sooner Athletic Outdoor Track and Field Championships will offer free admission to watch the meet, making it an accessible event for friends, family members and outdoor track enthusiasts from across the region. Spectators are encouraged to come out and cheer on their favorite student-athletes during this two-day championship event.