John Brown University Athletics

While All-American finishes slipped away, the bigger picture didn’t.

John Brown University OTF closed the most ambitious national championship run of the modern era Friday afternoon in Asheville, where freshman Payton Brack and senior Chase Schermer finished 10th and 11th in the steeplechase final after advancing through prelims earlier in the week.

The week featured five national qualifiers, two steeplechase finalists, multiple personal-best performances, and another reminder of how quickly the program is climbing.

Brack, Schermer Finish 10th and 11th at NAIA Nationals as Golden Eagles Cap Historic Season - John Brown University Athletics ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Freshman Payton Brack and senior Chase Schermer brought John Brown University's most ambitious national championship showing to a close Friday (May 22), finishing 10th and 11th respectively in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase final at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Cham...

14 competitors.
8 All-Americans.
1 National Champion.

Chase and Payton vie for glory today as the duo compete in the men's steeplechase finals this afternoon!! 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

📍 Asheville, N.C. (Karl Straus Track)
📺+📊: https://jbuathletics.com/coverage
⏱️ Schermer / Brack • 1:45 p.m. • Steeplechase finals

Most programs were trying to get one steeplechaser into the NAIA National Championship finals. John Brown University advanced two.

Senior Chase Schermer and freshman Payton Brack moved through Thursday’s 31-runner preliminary field in Asheville, making OTF one of only two programs in the country with multiple steeplechase finalists.

Meanwhile, freshmen Katalina Chan and Abigail Stucker each delivered personal-best performances on the national stage.

ALL THE DETAILS ⤵️

Schermer, Brack Punch Through to Steeplechase Final as Five Golden Eagles Battle in National Championship Prelims - John Brown University Athletics ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The largest group of Golden Eagles ever to compete at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships sent two steeplechasers to Friday's final, as senior Chase Schermer and freshman Payton Brack both advanced out of preliminary competition (May 20-21) at Karl Straus Track o...

The steeplechase finals at the NAIA National Championships will include two Golden Eagles – that's 15 percent of the final field. 👀

In just the eighth season after restarting the program, John Brown University advanced freshman Payton Brack and senior Chase Schermer through Thursday’s prelims in Asheville against the nation’s top 31 runners.

Brack qualified seventh overall with a personal-best 9:17.74, the second-fastest time in program history, while Schermer advanced in eighth at 9:18.29. Sophomore Sam Burkett's time of 9:31.87 landed him at 18th in the final tally.

🔜 Finals are set for Friday.

The steeple trio of Chase, Sam and Payton kick off Day Two of the NAIA National Championships, with Katalina vying for a spot in the 400 finals!! 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

📍 Asheville, N.C. (Karl Straus Track)
📺+📊: https://jbuathletics.com/coverage
⏱️ Schermer / Burkett / Brack • 12:15 p.m. • Steeplechase prelims
⏱️ Chan • 3:00 p.m. • 400 meter prelims

Incredible work today by the OTF ladies as Katalina posts a new program record in the 400 meter hurdles and Abigail earns a new personal best in the 1,500 meters!! 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

A pair of freshman tangle with the nation's best as Abigail and Katalina compete in preliminaries on Day One of the NAIA National Championships!! 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

📍 Asheville, N.C. (Karl Straus Track)
📺+📊: https://jbuathletics.com/coverage
⏱️ Stucker • 2:50 p.m. • 1,500 meter prelims
⏱️ Chan • 3:30 p.m. • 400 meter hurdles prelims

Five national qualifiers. Three steeplechasers. And the biggest championship group JBU has taken to nationals since restarting the program.

John Brown University will send a record contingent to the NAIA Outdoor Championships next week in Asheville, led by Chase Schermer’s historic steeplechase season and a freshman class that has rapidly changed the ceiling of the program.

The group includes three national qualifiers in a single event and multiple athletes who have spent the spring rewriting the program record book.

👉 Full preview and championship schedule: https://jbuathletics.com/news/2026/5/13/track-field-schermer-four-underclassmen-headline-record-jbu-contingent-at-naia-national-championships.aspx

A breakthrough years in the making.

John Brown University senior Chase Schermer became the first men’s track athlete in program history to hit an NAIA A standard Friday night, winning the steeplechase at the Arkansas Twilight while breaking the program record in the process.

The night didn’t stop there. Senior Matthew Cook closed his collegiate career with a program-record run in the 800 meters, and freshman Katalina Chan lowered another program mark as the Blue and Gold sharpened its national championship picture heading into Asheville.

Schermer Earns First NAIA A Standard in Men's Program History, Cook Sets 800-Meter Record - John Brown University Athletics FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Senior Chase Schermer made program history Friday night (May 8) at the University of Arkansas Twilight, becoming the first John Brown University men's track and field athlete to earn an NAIA A standard while setting a program record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at John McDon...

A fantastic night celebrating all of our John Brown University student-athletes!