GULF SHORES, Ala. – Northwest University saw its men's track season come to an end Thursday at the 2021 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
Riley Sine and Micah Murphy finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in the second heat of the 5000-meter preliminaries. Sine finished at 15:24.26 and Murphy clocked in at 15:26.07.
 
Sine was among the qualifying group for the first half of the race and Murphy was in the upper half of the field early on.
 
Wesley Methune of The Masters won the heat in 14:47.26 and Derek Van Prooyen claimed the final automatic qualifying slot in fourth at 14:50.22.
 
Sine, a graduate student from Spokane Valley, finishes a stellar career for the Eagles, having earned indoor and outdoor All-America honors in the 5000 meters. Sine holds the school record in the event at 14:47.6. He also was All-America in cross country.
 
Sine returned after his senior season of outdoor track was wiped out by the pandemic.
 
"It's been a great career for Riley Sine," said NU Coach Mark Mandi. "Even though he missed the finals, being at nationals is always a big accomplishment. We're proud of him and the effort he gave and the ways he has continued to represent Northwest in the five years he was here."
 
Murphy, a freshman from Lynnwood, made his first appearance at a national-level meet Thursday.
 
"To have Micah in the meet is going to be a valuable experience moving forward," Mandi said. "Obviously, the goal is to make the finals but just being here is a big accomplishment. We believe that his best years are still ahead of him and we're really looking forward to seeing how he helps take this team to new heights in the coming years."