PITTSBURG, KS – With the men having one athlete taking part in seven events during the heptathlon, the Wayne State College women’s team was represented by a field athlete during the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday.
From Pittsburg, Kansas, senior Michaela Dendinger competed in the weight throw Friday and during the shot put on Saturday.
During first event, the Coleridge native (graduate of Hartington Public HS), recorded a mark of 65’ 1 ¼” on her first attempt and qualified for finals with the second-best throw. In the finals, she beat her own school record of 65’ 6” with a heave of 67’ just two weeks after the NSIC Indoor Championship in Mankato, Minnesota. But, after fouling on her second throw, Dendinger’s last throw was 65’ 7”.
Senior Destiney Coward of Southern Connecticut State won the event with a throw of 68‘ 2 ½” followed By Dendinger in second (1’ 2 ½” back).
On the final day of Nationals, Dendinger was back at it during the shot put event. Again, the first attempt for Dendinger was her top throw of 53’ 1 ½”. After a foul on the second throw, Dendinger closed out the prelims with a heave of 53’ to take second.
In the finals, Dendinger picked up a throw of 52’ 6 ¾” on her first attempt, fouled on her second throw and finished with a mark of 52’ 10 ¼”. She placed runner-up with a top throw of 53’ 1 ½”.
Junior Sunflower Greene of Millersville was the top performer at 53’ 4 ¼”.
Dendinger earned First Team All-American Honors and produced 16 points for the Wildcats during the National Championship Meet.
The 2018 outdoor track & field season for Wayne State College will get underway with the Wildcat Outdoor Classic scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 23-24 from Memorial Stadium on the LeRoy Simpson Track.
