PITTSBURG, KS – The final two Wayne State College indoor track & field competitors took part in their respective events Saturday during the 2019 Indoor National Championships.
From Pittsburg, Kansas, the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships came to an end over the weekend.
On the women’s side, sophomore Jadin Wagner placed 17th out of 20 athletes in the shot put. The Lawton-Bronson HS graduate posted throws of 45′ 7 ¼”, 46′ 2 ½” and 46′ 1 ½” competing in the first flight during Saturday’s prelims. A mark of 49′ 9 3/4″ was needed to advance to the finals and reach the top nine qualifying spots.
Wagner had the 19th best mark entering nationals in the shot put and it was her first time qualifying for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.
From the men’s competition, senior Robert Sullivan set a new school record in the heptathlon but fell short in reaching an All-American finish during the two days of events.
The Omaha Burke HS graduate from Bennington, started the day in 10th place at 2,829 points. But a fourth place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.44 seconds) and a fifth place finish in the pole vault (14′ 9″) moved him from 10th place to seventh place entering the final event, the 1,000-meter run.
Even more intriguing entering the final event was just four points separating Sullivan from seventh place (4,463 points) to ninth place at 4,459 points.
Sullivan recorded a 10th place finish in the 1,000-meter run and ended the seven-event competition with 5,221 points, a new school record that eclipsed his own mark of 5,202 points set last season.
However, Sullivan ended in ninth place overall with 5,221 points, 42 points shy of eighth place Darius Berry of Wheeling Jesuit (5,262 points) the final All-American finisher.
This was the third straight season that Sullivan qualified in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, taking 12th overall in 2018 and 2017 seasons.