INFO | National Championships meet central
 
Pueblo, Colo.----Wingate University senior distance specialist Titouan Le Grix defended his national championship in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase Friday, taking the gold medal in the NCAA Division II outdoor meet inside the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. Le Grix's first-place time of 8:47.62 was 21 seconds faster than his Thursday qualifying mark.
 
Le Grix had company on the podium, as junior Will Aitken finished eighth with his time of 9:04.77. Aitken joins his teammate as a first team All-American in only his second outdoor national championship appearance. Senior Ricardo Barbosa finished 11th (9:36.31) to claim second team All-American honors.
 
Wingate's 11 points in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase vaults the Bulldogs into a tie for fifth-place on the team leaderboard with Texas A&M Kingsville. Both teams have 16 points. Pittsburg State (Kansas) is the top team after two days with 28 points. West Texas A&M is second with 27 points.
 
The race
 
- Le Grix led Northwest Missouri State senior Grant Bradley after 200 meters
- Bradley took the lead at the 600-meter mark with Le Grix a close second
- Le Grix regained the lead at the 2600-meter plateau
- Le Grix finished 10 seconds ahead of Bradley (8:47.62-to-8:57.89)
- Aitken was always in the top eight runners Friday evening
- Aitken peaked at third after 1800 meters
- Aitken's finals time was 10 seconds faster than his qualifying mark
- Both Wingate and Lee (Tenn.) had two runners finish in the top eight
 
Men's 3000-meter steeplechase championship finals
 
1st - Titouan Le Grix, 8:47.62 (national champion, first team All-American)
8th - Will Aitken, 9:04.77 (first team All-American)
11th - Ricardo Barbosa, 9:36.31 (second team All-American)
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate assistant track and field coach Pol Domenech
 
"I speak from experience, when I say that it is hard to win a title, but harder to repeat it. The level of professionalism, attention to detail and respect towards the competition that went into this title is hard to describe in words. This will be Titouan's last championship wearing Wingate's Navy Blue and Vegas Gold, but he will certainly leave a legacy behind. Now it's time to finish the job Saturday in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters."
 
"This title is even more especial as he won it for his teammate and best friend Soheil Boufrizi, who suffered an unfortunate disqualification in the semifinals of the same event Thursday. They were meant to go out together, fighting alongside each other. The NCAA took that away from them, but their friendship will last forever. This is what it is all about. I'm so privileged to be able to share these experiences with these incredible young men and women."

On the horizon for the Bulldogs
 
Saturday, May 24, 2025
 
Women's triple jump championship finals, 7:30 p.m. EDT
 
Hayat Abdeselam
 
Women's 1500 meters championship finals, 7:35 p.m. EDT
 
Evie Brooks
Mia Cabrera
 
Men's 1500 meters championship finals, 7:45 p.m. EDT
 
Titouan Le Grix
David Holman
Hamza Chahid
Jakob Rettschlag
Luca Poppe
 
Women's 5000 meters championship finals, 10:05 p.m. EDT
 
Mia Cabrera
 
Men's 5000 meters championship finals, 10:30 p.m. EDT
 
Joaquin Campos
Hamza Chahid
Lars Laros
Titouan Le Grix
Luca Poppe
Antonin Saint Peyre
 
Wingate University 
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60-degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 29 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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