Posted: Feb 28, 2025

Rader's Road: Sophomore earns NAIA All-America honor in long jump for SSU men's track and field program; I. Lanoy, French finish in top-15 in distance events (3,000, one mile)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Throughout the course of the 2025 NAIA Indoor Track and Field season, Luke Rader's efforts as a field athlete were nothing short of outstanding.

So it was only fitting for the 2025 River States Conference Field Athlete of the Year and 2025 River States Conference Newcomer of the Year to finish off his first NAIA National Championship appearance with a bang, as well.

Rader, a sophomore from nearby Minford, forever etched his name into legendary Shawnee State track and field lore Friday evening by becoming the second field athlete -- and first of the jumping variety -- inside the Shawnee State men's track and field program to obtain NAIA All-America honors with his new personal best and school record jump of 23 feet, 11 inches (7.29 meters), grabbing the eighth and final spot on the podium to cap off another strong effort for the Shawnee State track and field programs, collectively, on the second day of the three-day NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships -- which are being held at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, Fla.

Rader's road

Qualifying for the NAIA National Championships with a previous best jump of 7.12 meters -- or 23 feet, four-and-a-half inches -- Rader immediately put himself in an excellent position to advance out of the preliminary stage as the sophomore posted a 7.03 meter, or 23-foot, three-quarters inch mark, on his very first jump to sit third in his flight throughout.

Rader ultimately nabbed eighth of the 21 jumpers that took part between both flights -- and, as one of nine individuals to clear at least 22 feet, 11-and-three-quarters inches, advanced to the NAIA National Finals as a result.

In said finals, the gamer, simply put, raised his level to that of his competition.

In an incredibly tight and well-contested NAIA Long Jump National Final, Rader came up huge on his next-to-last jump -- clearing 23 feet, 11 inches to break his own personal best and school record in the event. Lindsey Wilson's Tremaine Browne, who sat just behind Rader in ninth place, attempted to unseat Rader from the eighth and final All-American placement, but Rader's aforementioned mark well surpassed Browne's as Browne's final jump cleared 23 feet, six-and-three-quarters inches but no further, giving Rader the eighth and final All-American spot.

"Luke has been nothing short of great this season, and today was no different," Shawnee State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Conner Flynn said. "All he needed was a spot in the final and when that was provided, he stepped up. I am so proud of Luke and this accomplishment. He has truly set the standard for Shawnee State sprints and jumps."

With his finish, Rader came within three-and-a-half inches of finishing as a NAIA National Runner-Up in the event, and also posted the fourth-highest finish by any freshman or sophomore in the long jump, only finishing behind Bushnell (Ore.)'s Kaleo Wellman, Lindsey Wilson's Maxwell Wordui and Life's Khalil Carr -- the latter of whom Rader matched in jump length but finished behind in the finishing order as Rader hit the 23-foot, 11-inch mark on his fifth try and Carr the same mark on his first.

French, I. Lanoy cap strong indoor seasons with NAIA National Top-15 efforts

Competing earlier in the day, Shawnee State senior Dylan French and Shawnee State sophomore Isaiah Lanoy more than held their own in the one mile and 3,000 meter run, respectively.

French, who came into the one mile seeded 20th in the event, proceeded to improve seven spots above where his pre-seeding placement was by finishing 13th overall, collecting a 4:17.27 in the one mile to come within 50 seconds of qualifying for the NAIA National Finals in the event. The skilled Shawnee State harrier beat out seven different runners from five different NAIA conferences in setting a terrific pace as the Coal Grove native acquitted himself well against the nation's best.

Isaiah Lanoy, who finished 14th in the 3,000 meter run, added in a 8:32.66 to allow Shawnee State to go 3-for-3 in terms of NAIA National Top 15 finishers on the day -- and seal what will be the Bears' fourth NAIA National Top 15 finish overall when Olivia Cisco wraps up competition Saturday afternoon. Lanoy defeated six runners from six different NAIA conferences with his own strong effort on Friday.

Lanoy's finish also meant that Shawnee State will finish inside the NAIA National Top 20 in each of the six events that it competed in during the 2025 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships -- as Natalie Brammer finished 18th in the 3,000 meter racewalk while the distance medley relay team at Shawnee State claimed 19th Thursday evening.

"Many athletes outperforming their seeding is special," Flynn said. "That shows that we are continuing to improve and compete. We set high standards for ourselves, and even in a performance that does meet that, it's good to outperform what was expected."

Additional

Shawnee State has one more competitor who will look to match Rader's NAIA All-America effort with one of her own -- as Olivia Cisco competes in the 5,000 meter run Saturday afternoon at 3:55 p.m. with an opportunity to accomplish the same feat after qualifying for the NAIA National Finals in the 5,000 meter run by virtue of nabbing a top-12 overall time during the national preliminary stage.

"Olivia Cisco making the final was a great moment," Flynn said. "She had a late start to the season due to injuries, but hasn't let that become an excuse. Instead, she kept her foot on the gas and took it day by day. I am very excited to see what she can accomplish heading into the 5,000 meter final."