Benedictine track soars at Heart Championship meet

Benedictine College turned the Heart Outdoor Track & Field Conference Championships into a clear statement of depth, winning the men’s title with 147 points at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Ravens climbed from second place in 2025 and third in 2024, a steady rise that ended with a conference championship and gave Atchison another strong result to rally around.

Jacob Connealy, who guided the Ravens through the meet, was named the Heart Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year. Heart officials said Benedictine produced 24 all-conference performances, a number that points to a roster contributing across the board rather than a single athlete carrying the weekend.

The championship came in a league that still had plenty of balance around it. William Penn’s Xzavion West earned Men’s Most Points Scored honors, while Central Methodist’s Isaac Lawson was named Freshman of the Meet. Those postseason awards underscored how competitive the Heart remained even as Benedictine separated itself at the top of the team standings.

The win also fit into a broader run of success for Benedictine track and field this year. The men placed third at the Heart indoor championships with 102.5 points, while the women finished second indoors with 179.5 points. Taken together, those results showed a program carrying momentum on both sides and building toward the biggest meet of the spring.

That next stage is already on the calendar. Benedictine’s official men’s outdoor schedule lists the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships for May 20-22 in Asheville, North Carolina. After winning the Heart title in Cedar Rapids, the Ravens will head there with a conference championship, a coach of the year honor and a deep performance sheet that suggests the season may still have more to give.