AMC
Female Track Athlete of the Meet for the women’s teams at the AMC Track and
Field Championships held at Cedarville University on April 21-22.
Gibson
shared this distinguished award with Chelsea Shelnick, a sprinter from Tiffin
University.
Gibson
won both the 800m and 1500m races with nearly seven-second leads in each
race, setting new AMC meet records in each event with times of 2:14.79 and
4:37.67, respectively. Her record-breaking times automatically qualified her
for NAIA Outdoor Nationals in May.
“Gibson’s races at the AMC Conference Championships were two of the most
dominant races from a middle distance runner I have ever seen,” said
Assistant Track and Field Coach Matt Dougherty. “She controlled both races
from start to finish and she did it with commanding leads. The 800m – 1500m
double is one of the toughest pairs of races to run in track, and she ran
both races with only 40 minutes between them. Setting one conference record
in a conference with such a rich history in distance running is amazing.
Setting two conference records in the span of one hour in a single day is
unheard of. Gibson is a rare athlete with outstanding talent, an athlete a
coach may only see once in his or her career.”
Gibson
is well on her way to becoming the most decorated track and field athlete in
Houghton’s history. Currently, she has four All-America awards to her name
for her accomplishments in track, two of which she earned at NAIA Indoor
Nationals in March. She will have a shot at two more All-America honors at
this year’s Outdoor Nationals. Achieving this feat would put her ahead of
Houghton’s other great female distance runner, Krista Ruth, who was a
five-time All-American in cross country and track.
“Gibson’s athletic versatility can be seen in the fact that she is our #1
runner for the 5K in cross country, and that she holds school records in the
400m, 500m, 800m, 1000m, 1500m, and one mile races, as well as in the 4x400m
and 4x800m relays,” said Head Track and Field Coach Bob Smalley. “And she has
not just broken school records—she has crushed them.”
“This is a tremendous
accomplishment," said Athletics Director Skip Lord. “Gibson may very well be
one of the most accomplished athletes in Houghton history, and she has shown
exceptional determination in getting to this point. She is a wonderful
example of what it means to be a student-athlete in our program. We are all
very proud of her.”
Gibson
will travel to NAIA Outdoor Nationals in Fresno, Calif. on May 25-27.
