KEARNEY – For the second time this season, the Wayne State College women’s and men’s track & field team competed in outdoor competition.
From the Kearney High School Track Complex in Kearney, WSC took part in the UNK Central Nebraska Challenge this past Saturday.
The Wildcat women had four event wins with one NCAA provisional qualifying mark while posting a fifth-place finish.
Fort Hays State won the women’s title with 128.33 points, ahead of second place Nebraska Kearney with 108 points. Black Hills State (89), Missouri Western (84) and Wayne State (58) rounded out the top five teams. South Dakota Mines was sixth with 24 points followed by Colby CC (12) and Chadron State (5.66).
Junior thrower Mckenzie Scheil had another strong day for the Wildcats, winning the hammer throw at 189’ 2” while recording an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and a second place finish in the shot put with a mark of 48’ 1 ¼”.
Other event winners for the Wildcats were senior Kenzie Sullivan in the discus (149’ 7”), freshman Megan Hansen crossed the line first in the 100 meter hurdles (15.08) and junior Jordyn Pester took first in the 400-meter dash in 58.02 seconds.
Sophomore Kendra Paasch finished fifth in the discus (136’ 8”) and was seventh in the shot put (41’ 10 ¾”).
Jadin Wagner posted a fifth place finish in the hammer throw at 170’ 8” while Nicole Heeren was seventh in the discus at 128’ 9”
Emily Smollen was seventh in the triple jump (35’ 5”) with Molly McCartney taking eighth in the 800-meter run in 2:30.51.
On the men’s side, senior shot putter Ben Allen broke his own school record with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and senior Cade Kalkowski won the hammer throw Saturday afternoon to lead the Wayne State men’s track and field team to a fourth place finish.
Host UNK outlasted Fort Hays State 178.33 – 145 to win the men’s team title with Chadron State third at 83.33 points and Wayne State fourth with 63.33. Black Hills State (44), Missouri Western (26), South Dakota School of Mines (20) and Colby CC (2) closed out the team scoring.
Cade Kalkowski recorded the lone event win for the Wildcats, taking first in the hammer throw at 191’ 8” with teammate Cole Christoffersen second at 188’ 0”, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Senior Dylan Kaup also earned a fifth place finish in the hammer throw at 175’ 10”.
Allen eclipsed his own school record in the shot put taking third place at 56’1 ¼”, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. The old school record was set by Allen on May 10, 2019 at 54’ 5 ¼” at the NSIC Outdoor Championships.
Senior Preston Davis collected a third place finish in the javelin throw (175’ 5”), another third place finish in the 110 meter hurdles (15.75) and a sixth place finish in the 400 meter hurdles in 57.74 seconds.
Justin Rohloff took third in the 100-meter dash finals (11.07) and was fourth in the 200-meter dash in 22.24 seconds. Jediah Davis came in fifth in the 100-meter dash at 11.24 seconds.
Junior Noah Lilly was fourth in the 110 meter hurdles in 15.83 seconds while Collin Kotz took fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10.07.24.
Freshman Dylan Kneifl recorded a sixth place in the high jump clearing 6’ 4 ¾”.
The Wayne State College women’s and men’s track & field team will next compete on Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10 at the South Dakota Invite in Vermillion.