By Jacob Norling
May 25, 2023
 
(MARION, Ind.) Westmont Track and Field brought an end to an era on Friday in Marion, Indiana, when they competed in the final day of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. In fitting fashion, Westmont's final two races in the NAIA were run by Zola Sokhela, who entered the day with four national championships, and 12 NAIA All-American honors under his belt.
 
Sokhela's first event on Friday served as a sequel to the most memorable story from Indoor Nationals back in March. In Brookings, South Dakota, Sokhela and Jason Bowers, a South African friend from home, were neck-and-neck in the men's mile.
 
Eventually, Cumberland's Bowers stormed past his friend on the final 400, taking the crown in the Indoors mile. The two friends still cooled down alongside one another, and posed for photos atop the podium side by side. Hours after Bowers won his championship in the mile, Sokhela claimed the National Championship in the men's 1000. Then, the two champions posed once again, each flexing their championship plaques.
 
This time, at Outdoor Nationals on Friday, the two best competitors in the 1500 meter run shared small talk and laughs all the way up to the starting line. Then, once the gun went off, Bowers was gone in a blur. By the end of the first 400, Bowers had built nearly a full-100 meter lead, leaving Sokhela and the rest of the pack for good.
 
Wisely, Sokhela considered the fact that he had another championship race less than two hours later. Rather than attempt to close the insurmountable gap, Sokhela remained with the pack that was now competing for second. With his signature kick, Sokhela calmly and surely passed the remainder of the competitors to once again take second place behind Bowers.
 
Bowers won the race with a time of 3:47.24, while Sokhela finished as the runner-up with a time of 3:52.94. The second-place finish gave Sokhela his 13th All-American honor.
 
Similarly to Indoors, Sokhela had less than two hours to shake off the result from his first event, this time turning the page to the men's 800 meter run. Sokhela entered the day as the two-time defending National Champion.
 
Sokhela has regularly said in year's past, that his plan in the 800 is always to make the last move. In 2022, Sokhela finished the first 400 meters  in dead last, before being crowned the victor 400 meters later.
 
In 2023, Sokhela had four men ahead of him after the first 400 meters. One-hundred meters later, he had only one man left to beat. By the time he made his last turn with only 100 meters to go, it was clear that Sokhela's final move in the NAIA was going to make him a champion once again.
 
With a time of 1:48.78, Sokhela earned his fifth NAIA National Championship, his 14th NAIA All-American honor, and a three-peat in the men's 800 meter run at Outdoor Nationals.
 
"Relieved," was the first word that came to mind when Sokhela was asked how he felt. "Up to this point, I've run like six races already this week, so I knew it'd be tough. I knew whoever would win would have to break 1:50, so a 1:48 was able to get it done.
 
"I feel like I've run this track a million times, so I knew what the straights felt like, what the curves felt like, and where to position myself. I was ready, and I think I peaked at the right time."
 
When Sokhela crossed the finish line he immediately removed his bib, and spun the inside of it towards the cameras waiting for him at the finish line. The inside of the bib read one word, scribbled in light blue ink: Legacy.
 
When asked when this was planned, Sokhela revealed, "The moment we got here. It wasn't for myself. We've had track at Westmont since 1957, and I'm the last person representing Westmont on the track in the NAIA.
 
"For me, I wanted to put on a race that would represent Westmont. Whatever it is, never leave Westmont out of the question. We're always going to be here 'till the end. I wanted to show that.
 
"I couldn't be happier to come away with a win that's bigger than myself. This is for the people who built this program, for the people who came way before me, and for Coach Smelley."
 
The completion of the event brings an end to Westmont Track and Field's time in the NAIA, where they have competed since the middle of the 20th century. Perhaps the most notable piece of continuity to Westmont's history in the affiliation, is that of their coach, Russell Smelley.
 
Smelley took over as head coach of the Warriors in 1979, and has dedicated his career to growing men and women both in and out of the classroom, and on and off the track, ever since. While this fact will not change when the Warriors begin competition in the NCAA in the fall, this closing of a chapter in the college's history provides a great opportunity to reflect on the impact that Smelley has had at Westmont for over four decades.
 
"It makes me think about all the things I've learned along the way," shared Smelley, who has taken at least one athlete to NAIA Nationals for 44 years in a row. "It makes me think of the individuals I've shared this experience with, Rick Ifland being the first, this larger group in the present, and also the women since 1985.
 
"It's been a significant part of my life, and it's important to me that they've had a good experience here. Here, our student-athletes have learned the difference between what you want, versus what it takes to get what you want. Abby Rumohr for example, she's been knocking on the door, and this year she discovered what it takes to become an All-American.
 
"It's not just about the performances either, these meets have given us the opportunity to experience cultural events and explore the country."
 
Smelley continued, "The NAIA is a great association for athletes, and for friendships, while focusing not just on the outcome, but the participation. I'm going to miss my friends in that regard. We're all out here because of the young men and women and their growth, and not just about their performance.
 
"From 1957 to 2023, Westmont represented, and became an integral part of the NAIA."
 
Smelley was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1995, and was inducted into the NAIA Cross Country Hall of Fame in 1999. He was a recipient of the NAIA Coach of Character Award in 2015. Up to this point, Smelley has also been named Westmont College Teacher of the Year on two occasions, in 1988 and 2002.
 
The peak of Westmont Track and Field's NAIA history came in 2021, when Westmont's men's team took fourth-place at NAIA Outdoor Nationals. This year, the men finished in eighth-place. Two of the men involved in both top-10 finishes ensured that the results of competition is not what they will take away from these experiences.
 
"Smelley cares about character more than anything," shared Sokhela. "He cares far more about the individual than anything we ever do on the athletic side. To be honest, he's even more influential off the track. He represents people who don't always have representation, and that's what I'll remember about him long after I'm done running at Westmont.
 
"The whole point of being at Westmont is to grow the individual, and Smelley cares about that more than anything."
 
Adam King echoed Sokhela saying, "It's not about times. He always emphasizes the fact that we're only here for four years, and we'll run what we run, but we're going to be friends for a long time. He wants to be someone who holds our children, he wants to stay in touch for the rest of our lives.
 
"He always reminds us that we're not just times on a sheet, but that we're a part of something far greater than that."
 
Again, while Smelley will continue to mentor Westmont students on their journeys of becoming, a time such as this allows the community to celebrate the fact that as we honor the past, sit in the present, and look to the future, Russell Smelley and his history is as intertwined with Westmont College as any man's has ever been.
 
 
 
*Team Scores*
 
Westmont Men: 24 points, 8th of 76
 
Westmont Women: 3 points, 51st of 61