Ben Haas accomplished something only one other male athlete in the history of Hillsdale College track and field has done on Friday afternoon: become a NCAA DII indoor national champion.
The junior captured the weight throw title at the 2025 NCAA DII Indoor Championships, joining Jason Stomps in 2010 as Hillsdale's only men to win an indoor national title.
A two-time All-American in the weight throw and the top seed coming in, Haas all but ended the competition on his first throw, shattering his own personal best and Hillsdale school record with a mark of 22.89 meters. With only one other man in the competition who'd surpassed 22 meters this season, and in that case just barely, Haas' opening salvo proved to be insurmountable on the way to the title.
The victory and his winning throw put Haas in rare company -- breaking a tie with Findlay's Sterling Mungro for the G-MAC record in the event, and putting him among NCAA DII elites. In the entire history of NCAA DII competition, just three men have a better mark than Haas -- record holder Kibwe Johnson of Ashland, Missouri Southern's Peyton Barton and Ashland's Ryan Loughney. With another year of competition to come, Haas will get the chance to move up on that list and become a multi-time national champion in the event next winter.
Along with Haas, senior school record holder Cass Dobrowolski also competed in the high jump at the indoor national meet. Dobrowolski started strong, clearing the first two bars, including 2.06 meters on his first attempt, but couldn't stay alive at 2.11 meter despite a close third attempt to finish 12th against a strong field and earn honorable-mention All-American honors.
Dobrowolski will get another shot at All-American honors outdoors in the spring, where he'll look to earn his third trip to the outdoor championships. Haas should be a factor outdoors in multiple events as well, but still has one event remaining indoors -- the junior will compete in the shot put tomorrow, Saturday, at 3 p.m. He's the second-seeded thrower in the event behind defending national champion Myles Kerner of Grand Valley State University, and will look to add a fifth All-American honor -- and, just maybe, a second national championship -- to his resume with a strong result tomorrow.
Photo by James Gensterblum