MARION, IN – Griffen Parsells advanced to the 800m final on Friday after a strong showing in the preliminary race on Thursday. LC State standouts London Kirk and Sydnie Zywina had their storied careers come to an end, and the men’s 4x400m relay finished well above its ranking on the second day of the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.
Parsells placed fourth overall in the prelims of the men’s 800m to earn his spot in Friday’s final. The senior ran a time of 1:51.45.
“Griffen ran an almost perfect race,” coach Mike Collins said. “Very windy conditions and, with a guy as big as he is, it can be pretty detrimental to have to fight the wind, so we talked ahead of time of how we thought it might go and we were pretty close. He followed the plan almost perfectly. It will be fun to watch him run tomorrow as it is a field of nine guys that you could probably toss a blanket over it will be so close.”
The men’s 4x400m relay team of Preston Cooper, Kirk, Jordan Castillo and Trenton Johnson finished well above its seeding in 14th. The group was ranked 29th heading into the meet before running a time of 3:16.32 to place in the top half of the field. The event was the final for the Warriors on the day.
“A great finish for the day,” Collins said. “We didn’t make the final, but we talked ahead of time about racing, not worrying about times or splits, but to race and boy did they. Finishing second in our heat and 14th overall when we were ranked 29th going into the race says something. We were the fastest 4×400 team in the West, and beating all the other schools from the Cascade Conference also gave them a sense of accomplishment when it was over. Their spirits are up and we are looking forward to tomorrow.”
Zywina, a native of Orofino, finished 15th in the triple jump at 11.68m. The meet capped her impressive career that included three All-American honors and back-to-back CCC titles. Kirk, from Deary, finished 22nd in the 400m with a time of 49.24. He concluded his LC State career that featured three All-American finishes as well.
“London and Syd saw their careers end today in a way that you hope they don’t, but they have nothing to hang their heads about,” Collins said. “Both have had some of the best careers of any LC track and field athlete.They have set the bar high for those that will follow after them and there will be many that will look at their records with awe and also with a goal to break them.
“It also says something about them and our program that kids from Deary and Orofino have traveled all over the country competing in track and field, earned national honors and recognition, earned good grades and scholar-athlete recognition and are good members of our community,” Collins added. “They have represented me, the college, their families and their communities well and I know they will continue to represent us well. Many might think it is the end, but I think this is just the start. As their coach, I have had the privilege of seeing the past four years in person as they have matured and developed as young adults, and I will continue to see them over the years as they continue to do great things. It never ends. I hope that they know that and how proud of them I am and how proud of every single one of my athletes I am.
“Every small-town kid in Idaho should look at what London and Syd have accomplished and be inspired to believe that they can do it too,” Collins said. “They just have to believe, be willing to work hard, and to take some risks. It can be done.”
