Seven members of the Chadron State track team have received berths to the the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships coming up next week, May 22-24, in Allendale, Michigan. Five women and two men form the Chadron State contingent.
Leading the team will be senior Alyssa Norton, who qualified in 3 events… shot put, discus and hammer throw. Norton has made the nationals in the discus all 4 of her years and qualified for the Indoor nationals in the shot put twice, but this will be her first time outdoors in the shot and first time ever in the hammer.
Karl McFarlane will compete in the 110-meter hurdles. A 5-time All-American, McFarlane has qualified for nationals 4 times in that event and 3 times indoors in the 60-hurdles. He’s placed 3rd, 4th, and 7th indoors and was 5th outdoors in 2011 and 4th last year.
This is the second time at nationals for Gavan Archibald in the 400-meter hurdles, while the remaining CSC competitors are making their first-ever appearances.
Mel Herl qualified in the women’s discus, freshmen Stachia Reuwsaat and Kelsy Wood in the long jump and heptathlon respectively, and fifth-year senior Ashley Riesen in the 1,500 meters.
All had known by Monday morning that they’d qualified by being in the top 20 performances of the season in their event, but Riesen…qualified for nationals indoors as well… didn’t find out until Tuesday afternoon.
She was sitting 29th on the final list with a career-best mark, following an adjustment for altitude, but moved up to #20 when 9 runners who’d qualified in multiple events decided to drop the 1,500.
The D-II national championships begin Thursday, May 22 at the Grand Valley State Track and Field Stadium hosted by Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission. The top eight in each event earn All-American honors. Portions of the meet will be streamed at ncaa.com.
Chadron State National Qualifiers
Alyssa Norton, hammer throw (176-8), shot put (46-7 ¼), discus (159-1)
Mel Herl, discus (154-6)
Stachia Reuwsaat, long jump (19-7)
Ashley Riesen, 1,500-meter run (4:33.39)
Kelsy Wood, heptathlon (4,920 points)
Gavan Archibald, 400 hurdles (52.50)
Karl McFarlane, 110 hurdles (14.04)