Live Scoring Results
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Great Midwest Athletic Conference student-athletes were off to a flying start at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Irwin Belk Complex on Johnson C. Smith University on Thursday.
One national champion and four individual All-Americans were crowned as 17 different Great Midwest qualifiers put their talents on display against the nation’s best.
Walsh senior Marcus Myers, named the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year at the banquet on Wednesday evening, rose to the top of the awards podium with top honors in the hammer throw.
Myers went in as the top overall seed in the event and defended that billing with his longest attempt of 67.05 meters. It was a little bit of redemption for the talented Cavalier after qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the weight throw.
Myers’ mark of over 219 feet came on his fourth attempt and he beat out runner-up Jace Kaleikau of Central Missouri by over five feet in the final standings.
He became the third men’s outdoor track and field national champion in the league’s history after Malone’s Duke Taylor (discus) and Cedarville’s Daniel Michalski (3K steeplechase) were top finishers in the 2017 NCAA meet.
Also earning NCAA All-American honors were a pair of seniors from Hillsdale, who finished their respective careers on high notes.
Senior thrower Daniel Capek came in eighth in the hammer throw to give the Great Midwest a pair of All-Americans in the event while senior Alexandra Whitford cleared 3.85m (12’ 7.5”) to finished third in the pole vault.
The national championship-winning clearance was 3.95m, a height that was beaten four different times in the season by Walsh senior Kaitlyn Barber. Unfortunately, Barber faulted on her progressions and registered no heights with seven other competitors.
Ursuline’s Janelle Perry, named the Great Midwest Field Athlete of the Year, added to her legacy as a three-time All-American in the long jump (2x outdoor, 1x indoor). She will start her quest to defend a national title in the 100-meter hurdles today in the prelims. Malone junior and Great Midwest Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year Ashton Dulin was a Second Team All-American in the 400-meter hurdles as he moved into 12th following the preliminaries with a pair of disqualifications.
Hillsdale's Joseph Humes was one spot away from All-American honors in the 1,500-meter run, finishing 13th in the preliminaries. Malone junior Hannah Thompson was also close to All-American status with a 14th-place finish in the 10K, a race with three different Great Midwest runners.
Findlay’s Trey Everett is currently in 12th in the decathlon standings while Walsh’s Sarah Berger and Andra Lehotay each advanced into the finals of the 1,500-meter run. Cedarville’s Trent Classen is also a Friday finalist in the 3K steeplechase.
Berger was named the Great Midwest Female Collegiate Achievement Award Winner this week and was the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year as announced on Wednesday.
Berger won her heat while Lehotay clocked the third-fastest qualifying time with a 4:28.23.