Higginbotham Claims NAIA National Title in 60-Meter Hurdles

Gainesville, Fla.--Koby Higginbotham (Fr., Knoxville, Iowa, Exercise Science) accomplished something Saturday that no other William Penn indoor track and field athlete ever had as he became a national champion at the 61st Annual U.S. Marines NAIA Men's Indoor Track and Field National Championship.

Higginbotham, who qualified fourth in Friday's preliminary round with a time of 8.01 seconds, blitzed the finals field with a championship-winning time of 7.82 seconds.  He defeated runner-up Schavon Carr of Campbellsville (Ky.) by .03 seconds.

His time not only won the crown, but he also broke his own school record of 7.92 seconds in the process.

The freshman is the program's first national champion since 2017 (Derek Seddon in the discus), and the third national champion all-time.  He is also the first-ever indoor national champion in school history.

Higginbotham also becomes the 37th All-American at WPU (23 in the last 10 years).

Youssef Hamed (Jr., Al Wakrah, Qatar, Business Management) had the next-highest finish for WPU, taking 12th in the 60-meter dash in 6.78 seconds.

Xzavion West (Sr., Guthrie, Ky., Psychology) competed twice at the Championship, taking 13th in the shot put (52-0.5) and 25th in the weight throw (54-10.75).

Fellow thrower Fredrick Kolla Nguimdo (Jr., Wheaton, Md., Secondary Education) finished 23rd in the weight throw at 57-0.75.

Like Hamed, Keena Taylor (Fr., St. Petersburg, Fla., Business Management) was also in the top 20 in the sprints, ending up 18th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.84 seconds.

Micah Mills (Jr., Houston, Texas, Psychology) was William Penn's representative in the jumps, hitting a mark of 46-9 to finish 22nd in the triple jump.

"We had the highest of highest and the lowest of lows and everything in between this week, but that is what happens at a national championship," Head Coach Victoria Vinokur said.  "To watch Koby win the national title as a freshman was unbelievable.  He and Coach Z have worked incredibly hard all season to get him healthy after being injured in the fall and out for most of the indoor season.  To see him rise to national champion is unreal."