EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Monti Sutton doesn’t mind being in the background. He’s relatively quiet and unassuming, somewhat shy in his presentation. He wants to do the good work, but he is fine with letting others get the credit.

So the spotlights that now shine on him are uncomfortable to the say the least, but he deserves them.

Sutton, a junior from Pomona, Calif., produced the greatest moment of his track & field career at the most opportune time, pulling off an upset victory in the triple jump with a career-best leap of 50’ 0½”, using near 1-foot personal record to snag his first-ever NAIA individual championship.

“This means a lot, especially because I wear a Cougar claw on my chest,” said Sutton. “Anything less than No. 1 is unacceptable at Azusa Pacific. I knew a 50-foot jump was in me, and I did not come here to settle for anything else than a victory.”

The 10 points from Sutton’s victory proved to be the ultimate difference as Azusa Pacific held on to win the NAIA men’s outdoor track & field championship, beating second-place Dickinson State University, 80-71. With the victory, Azusa Pacific successfully defends its title of a year ago and in the process garner’s the program’s 15th outdoor national championship, the most NAIA history.

Sutton’s win was 1 of 3 events that the Cougars claimed during Saturday’s final day of competition.

Senior Aron Rono capped a marvelous collegiate career by holding off the field to win the 1500 meters for the second straight year. Rono has dominated most of his NAIA competition the past 2 years, but he was pushed to the limit in today’s 1500, displaying a healthy dose of competitive spirit to keep Silas Kisorio of Oklahoma Christian University at bay over the final 150 meters and win with a season-best time of 3:45.09 in sweltering, mid-afternoon heat. Silas clocked a 3:45.63.

The victory gives Rono his second individual title of this meet and the eighth of his 4-year outdoor career. Only former Cougar great Ade Olukoju (1987-90) has won more NAIA titles (9).

Azusa Pacific began the day in first place, and junior Jordan Savidge expanded the cushion by winning the pole vault in the day’s first event. He was 1 of just 3 athletes to clear 16 feet and then was the only one to go 16’ 6¾” to become Azusa Pacific’s first NAIA pole vault champion since Vince Beresford in 1992.

“For whatever reason, I came in relaxed and didn’t feel any pressure like I did at indoors,” said Savidge, who won the indoor pole vault championship back in March. “The crowd was way better than I anticipated and that is what was fueling me over the bar. It was really an exciting and energetic atmosphere today.”

Within an hour, Rono followed Savidge with the 1500 victory, but it was Sutton’s effort on his fourth leap of the competition that in essence clinched the championship for Azusa Pacific.

At last year’s NAIAs, Sutton led the triple jump heading into the final round but 2 competitors edged him on their final jumps to drop Sutton to third.

“The hardest part today was waiting for the competition to end,” added Sutton. “There are usually 2 or 3 great jumpers that pull out victory on their last jump. I was just nervous, waiting to see what these guys would do, and now I’m in disbelief.”

Sutton become only the fifth Cougar ever to clear 50 feet in the triple jump and just third to win an NAIA triple jump crown.

Freshman Cedrique Smith battling for victory in the 400-meter hurdles when he clipped the ninth hurdle and fell to the ground. He recovered to finish the race and collect a point toward Azusa Pacific’s championship cause.

The Cougars picked up 4 points from a fifth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Freshman Zachary Keene anchored Azusa Pacific to a season-best 40.89, matching the tenth-best time in program history

“You learn to never take championships for granted,” said Cougar men’s coach Kevin Reid, who was named the NAIA Outdoor Coach of the Year. “Each one is different. I look at the guys’ faces, see them in the moment, and it re-energizes me.

“I think this is one of the strongest teams in my time here. We covered a lot of bases and finished on top in a lot of events.”

With the high humidity and heat, and with the title in hand, Rono bowed out of the finals of the 5000-meters, ending his chance of repeating his unique triple of a year ago when he won the 1500-, 5000- and 10,000-meter individual championships.

The Azusa Pacific women finished fourth with 49 points. Wayland Baptist University won the women’s title for a second consecutive with 102 points. Oklahoma Baptist was second with 58, and Lindenwood University followed with 52.

Junior Jacky Kipwambok highlighted the women’s performance on the day by winning the 5000-meters in a season-best time of 16:51.32. She sweeps the long-distance races, having won the 10,000-meter Thursday night.

All-American Jaime Canterbury was fifth with a 17:16.82, and earlier in the day she finished fourth in the 1500 with a 4:35.29 and thus closes out the greatest distance-running career in Azusa Pacific women’s track & field history with 14 All-America honors.

Though she didn’t score, senior Ryann Shneider qualified for the shot put finals with a career-best effort of 44’ 0¾”.

With the men’s championship in hand, Azusa Pacific has now won a total of 32 NAIA national championship in all sports combined, the third most total titles in NAIA history. Combined with the indoor and outdoor circuits, Azusa Pacific has won 26 NAIA championships in track & field, 21 for the men (all since 1983), and 5 for the women (3 outdoors, 2 indoors).