Marian Men's Track and Field Repeats as NAIA Indoor National Champions

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - For the second consecutive year, the Marian men's track and field team has reached the top step on the podium at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championship, as the Knights defended their title and won the 2026 NAIA Championship. The Knights' championship is Marian's ninth overall NAIA Red Banner Championship, and is the second of the 2025-26 academic year, as moments prior to Marian completing its championship quest, the women's program had sealed its first-ever NAIA National Title. 

Entering the championship finale on Saturday, the Knights sat as the overall leader in the field, having scored 23 points. Marian's title defense started on Thursday when Victor Dailey earned the NAIA National Runner-Up in the high jump after clearing a height of 2.07m, while on Friday the Knights scored 15 points, getting the majority from the 4x800m relay national championship run that set the new NAIA meet record. Senior Markevious Keys also scored for the Knights on Friday, as the thrower hit a mark of 19.18m in the weight throw, finishing fourth overall. 

In addition to their point scorers on the first two days, Marian set themselves up to have a big Saturday in the prelims of their other events, qualifying both the DMR and 4x400m relays on Thursday, while on Friday, Will Osafo, Eric Materna, Tristan Trevino, and Charles Leedke each earned an individual finals appearance.

Saturday's scoring began in the mile race, as Tristan Trevino captured his first individual championship and second overall national title of the week by winning the mile race, as he clocked a time of 4:04.25, beating Trinity Western's Justin Kiplagat by 0.09 seconds to earn the national title. Trevino's championship was Marian's first-ever in the mile race, and the junior's first individual national title in his decorated career. 

The attention on the track then turned to Eric Materna, who carved out a fifth-place finish in the 600m with his time of 1:18.19. Battling through injuries throughout the year, Materna was able to prevail in the finals and record his second consecutive All-American honor in the 600m race. 

Will Osafo then hit the sprint lanes and scored three points for Marian, clocking a 6.736-second time in the 60 meters. Osafo's finals appearance was the first in his career, as he earned his first career NAIA All-American honor. 

Charles Leedke finished out Marian's individual runs in the 800m, charting a time of 1:51.17 in the finals to finish third overall. Leedke scored six points, missing out on the national championship by 0.23 seconds.

With Marian's success on the day Saturday, the Knights maintained their spot in the upper quartile of the teams in the event, sitting in second overall entering the team's final two events, the DMR and 4x400m relay. Marian trailed Cumberlands 47-46 as the DMR began, with the Knights looking to use their experience as the defending champions in both events to take them over the edge.

In the DMR, Charles Leedke returned to the track and took Marian in front early, capturing the lead by the 1000m split of the 4000m relay. Leedke handed the baton to Dexter Parker in the lead, who carried the edge in the 400m split and kept the team in the lead. Parker's hold over Oklahoma City and Indiana Wesleyan faded as he handed the baton to Mason Piatt, but the experienced veteran quickly got Marian back in front, turning the lead back to the Knights entering the final leg of the relay. Tristan Trevino anchored the Knights and methodically attacked the track, similarly to his approach in the NAIA 4x800m relay championship on the previous day. Trevino finished strong and won the final kick against the Stars and Wildcats, stopping the clock in 9:54.46 to win the DMR title for the second consecutive year.

Marian's race pushed the team in front of Cumberlands by seven points, and set the Knights in a great position to complete the team title. In the 4x400m relay, the Knights began the relay with Eli Givens, who not only paced Marian in heat two by had the fastest split of all eight teams in the finals with a 47.80 time. Givens handed off to AJ Kelly, and he kicked right off Givens run, keeping in the top-two as Indiana Tech and Huntington were in the runner's hip. Tre Jones was third on the relay, and Jones, running for the second time this week, was able to blitz back in front, taking a full second lead over the Foresters and Warriors entering the last leg. Eric Materna was the anchor runner for Marian, and the reigning national champion in the event finished the day with another national championship in his career, setting the fastest time in the NAIA Championship field with a 3:10.24 time as he crossed the line.

The 4x400m relay championship gave the Knights their second relay title in the event in as many years, and completed Marian's sweep of all three relay national championships in the same NAIA Championship event.

Marian's final win gave the team a point total of 66, allowing the Knights to defeat the Patriots by 14 points, sealing the NAIA National Championship.

The championship is Marian's ninth in school history and second in program history, joining championships in football (two), women's basketball (two), women's volleyball (one), men's bowling (one), and women's track and field (one). 

After the conclusion of the meet, Marian's champion 4x800m relay team record and effort was named the Most Outstanding Performance of the NAIA Championship, while head coach Katie Wise-Butler was named the NAIA Coach of the Year, an honor earned for the second consecutive year and third time overall in her career, as she was also the women's NAIA Coach of the Year.