The total of 2015 Ashland University outdoor track and field All-Americans grew to seven on Friday (May 22), as Day 2 of the NCAA Division II Championships at Grand Valley State University saw a pair of second-place Eagle efforts.
Sophomore Jason Zahn was one throw away from a national championship in the men's discus throw on Friday, finishing second with a top mark and a personal-best throw of 185-feet-8/56.59 meters. Central Missouri junior Caniggia Raynor's winning throw was his last at 196-feet-1/59.76 meters.
Senior Jennifer Foster was the national runner-up in the women's high jump with a top effort of 5-feet-9¼/1.76 meters, just shy of her automatic-qualifying distance of 5-feet-11¼/1.81 meters set at the Ashland Alumni Open.
Both senior Drew Windle and junior Elijha Owens will compete in national finals on Saturday (May 23) following their efforts in preliminary races on Friday. Owens was second in the men's 110-meter high hurdle preliminaries (13.72), while Windle was eighth in the men's 800-meter run prelims (1:50.78).
Windle is looking for a national-title three-peat outdoors – something he accomplished indoors earlier this year.
After seven scored events, the Eagle men are third with 19 team points, trailing only Findlay (37) and Southern Indiana (21). After eight scored events, the AU women are tied for fourth (17) with Pittsburg State, behind Central Missouri (51), host GVSU (24) and New Mexico Highlands (21).
Saturday is the third and final day of 2015 nationals, with plenty on the line for AU:
- Jessica Bridenthal, senior; Shatora Lewis; senior; Jamie Sindelar, junior and Megan Tomei, sophomore, women's shot put, 11:15 a.m.
- Elijah Talk, freshman and Zahn, men's shot put, 2:20 p.m.
- Nick Hall, junior, men's 1,500-meter run finals, 2:35 p.m.
- Owens, men's 110-meter high hurdles finals, 2:55 p.m.
- Windle, men's 800-meter run finals, 3:55 p.m.
- Owens, men's 400-meter intermediate hurdles finals, 4:20 p.m.
AU
TF/DS