Both 100-meter records broken by Blaskowski and Kwafo, in addition to Wisconsin-La Crosse and Loras achieving 4x100 relay all-time marks and Mount Union men taking down 4x400 standard; Traore (men’s 200), Patzka (men’s 3,000 steeplechase) and Kadiri (women’s triple jump) also produce memorable performances

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Ryan Wilson already boasts multiple NCAA Division 3 records, but even though he wasn’t part of the group of eight all-time division marks achieved in Rochester, N.Y., his two titles were big factors in Massachusetts Institute of Technology capturing the first men’s outdoor team title in program history.

Despite five victories from Loras, including a sweep of the 5,000- and 10,000-meter crowns by Kassie Parker, the Duhawks weren’t able to capture a fourth consecutive women’s championship, as Wisconsin-La Crosse triumphed for the first time since 2015 at St. John Fisher’s Polisseni Track and Field Complex.

RESULTS

MIT relied on Wilson winning the men’s 800 and 1,500 in 1:48.17 and 3:45.18, respectively, in addition to Enoch Ellis prevailing in the 110 hurdles, to accumulate 60.5 points, knocking off 15-time champion Wisconsin-La Crosse, which was second with 49 points.

John Carroll, led by Alex Phillip doubling in the 5,000 and 10,000, and Rowan tied for third with 39 points apiece.

Wisconsin-La Crosse only produced one individual women’s winner in Skye Digman in the shot put, but the Eagles scored in 14 events to amass 67.5 points.

Loras swept the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, in addition to Grace Alley winning the heptathlon in support of Parker’s distance sweep to produce 58 points.

Washington (Missouri) was third with 51 points and MIT finished fourth with 37 points.

Sam Blaskowski contributed to a pair of Division 3 records for Wisconsin-La Crosse, running a wind-legal 10.13 seconds in the 100-meter dash final, in addition to teaming with Ryder Smith, Spencer Reichart and Luke Schroeder to clock 39.86 in the 4x100 relay prelims, before capturing the title in 39.96.

Blaskowski improved on his own record-setting effort of 10.16 from May 18 at the Wisconsin-La Crosse qualifier, edging Cheickna Traore of Ramapo in 10.18.

The Eagles eclipsed the 2006 standard of 39.95 achieved by New Jersey City, which was the only sub-40 performance in division history until Wisconsin-La Crosse achieved the feat twice in a three-day span in New York.

Traore earned bragging rights against Blaskowski in the 200, emerging victorious by a 20.25 to 20.67 margin, improving on his own record-setting effort of 20.49 on March 17 at the Hurricane Invitational.

Mount Union’s Jared Storm, Tyler Gill, Justin Knoch and Matt McBride ran 3:07.24 to produce the division’s all-time 4x400 relay mark, taking down the 2005 performance of 3:07.42 achieved by Lincoln (Pennsylvania). Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was runner-up in 3:07.82, ascending to No. 4 in division history.

Christian Patzka of Wisconsin-Whitewater achieved the USTFCCA recognized Division 3 record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by winning in 8:42.46.

Colin Kirkpatrick of Pomona-Pitzer, representing New Zealand, ran 8:41.92 against a field of professional athletes May 6 at the On Running Track Fest at Mt. San Antonio College for the fastest regular-season performance in division history, although it is not acknowledged as the record.

Kirkpatrick finished fourth in the Division 3 final in 8:52.87.

Michelle Kwafo of Coast Guard won the women’s 100 title in a wind-legal 11.49 seconds, after achieving the division record of 11.62 in the prelims.

Rhondale Jones of Lincoln (Pennsylvania) set the Division 3 all-time mark of 11.64 in 1999, but Kwafo and runner-up Lauren Jarrett of Wisconsin-La Crosse (11.61) combined for the top three performances in division history at the championship meet. Jarrett was also second in the 200 in 24.16.

Harmony Creasy, Marion Edwards, Stevie Lambe and Gabrielle Noland ran 45.60 to lead Loras to victory in the 4x100 relay, edging Washington (Missouri) in 45.67. The Duhawks eclipsed the mark of 45.65 achieved by Methodist at the 2012 Division 3 final, with Washington elevating to the No. 3 all-time program.

Victoria Kadiri of Johns Hopkins, the first female athlete in division history to produce a 13-meter indoor performance in the triple jump, also became the first women’s competitor to surpass the barrier outdoors with her sixth-round performance of 43-4.25 (13.21m).

Kadiri broke the 2017 outdoor record of 42-8 (13.00m) held by Alexa Wandy of SUNY Geneseo.

She also won the long jump crown with a wind-legal effort of 20-2.50 (6.16m) in the second round, and Kadiri earned eighth in the heptathlon with 4,889 points.

Loras added two more meet records, with Alyssa Pfadenhauer joining Edwards, Noland and Lambe in clocking 3:39.76 in the 4x400 relay to elevate to No. 3 in division history.

Parker, who holds division all-time marks of 15:37.00 in the 5,000 and 32:36.22 in the 10,000, achieved the meet record in the 10,000 by clocking 33:02.53. Parker triumphed in the 5,000 in 16:18.30.

Fiona Smith of Saint Benedict placed second in both events in 16:22.31 and 33:05.17.

Phillip, who also achieved division records this season with performances of 13:47.41 in the 5,000 and 28:31.60 in the 10,000, eclipsed the all-time meet standard in the 10,000 with his victory in 28:37.89.

Phillip also prevailed in the 5,000 in 14:07.39 in his final race for John Carroll, before transferring this fall to North Carolina.

Birgen Nelson of Gustavus Adolphus repeated in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and finished the season with the four fastest all-conditions performances in Division 3 history, although none of the times were wind-legal efforts. Nelson ran a wind-aided 13.37 in the final to prevail against Kwafo (13.56), after clocking 13.47 in the prelims.

All four marks, including Nelson’s all-conditions best of 13.32 on May 3 at the Maverick Open, are all well under the wind-legal record of 13.60 held since 1998 by Bridget Cochran of Christopher Newport.

Nelson also placed second in the 400 hurdles, with Buffalo State’s Natalia Sawyer prevailing by a 58.66 to 59.17 margin. Sawyer is the No. 3 competitor in division history at 58.61.

Nelson, who will transfer to Duke in the fall, concluded her Gustavus Adolphus career with eight All-America honors and is the most decorated athlete in program history, along with the best all-around hurdler all-time in Division 3, including her indoor 60-meter hurdles record of 8.33 seconds.

Mount Union’s Kenadee Wayt won the women’s 200 and 400 titles in a wind-legal 23.95 and 54.33, respectively.

Emma Kelley of Washington University prevailed in the 800 in 2:06.47, with Maddie Hannan securing second for Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2:09.87.

Emory’s Annika Urban triumphed against Chicago’s Maddie Kelly in the 1,500 final by a 4:22.16 to 4:22.97 margin.

Wartburg’s Aubrie Fisher clocked 10:15.34 to edge Sydney Khosla of Wittenberg in 10:15.81 in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase championship.

Digman secured the shot put crown for Wisconsin-La Crosse with a 49-9 (15.16m) in the third round.

Swarthmore’s Adria Retter secured the discus throw title with a sixth-round performance of 168-10 (51.46m).

MIT’s Alexis Boykin captured the hammer throw crown with a second-round mark of 195-6 (59.58m).

Chrissy Strickland of George Fox triumphed in the javelin with a second-round throw of 149-6 (45.57m).

Alley prevailed in the heptathlon for Loras with 5,278 points, winning the high jump with a 5-7 (1.70m) clearance and placing second in the long jump following a wind-aided 19-1.25 (5.82m) effort.

Ithaca’s Logan Bruce finished runner-up with 5,220 points.

Meghan Matheny cleared 13-5.25 (4.10m) on her first attempt for Ithaca to capture the women’s pole vault title, with teammate Dominic Mikula winning the men’s crown with a 16-6.75 (5.05m) clearance on his initial try.

Kira Porzio of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy achieved a 5-7.75 (1.72m) clearance on her second attempt to secure the women’s high jump championship, prevailing on fewer attempts against Wartburg’s Breya Christopher and Tufts’ Jaidyn Appel.

The men’s high jump final resulted in co-champions, with Brady Vilvens of Wilmington (Ohio) and Harry Rienecker-Found from Tufts both clearing 6-9.75 (2.08m) on their first attempts.

Ellis won the 110 hurdles for MIT in a wind-legal 14.22 seconds, with teammate Kenneth Wei clocking 14.25 to take third.

George Fox’s Ethan Kassebaum triumphed in the long jump final with a 25-5.50 (7.76m) performance in the third round. Wei was runner-up at 25-2.75 (7.69m), also on his third attempt.

Wisconsin-Platteville’s Will Lawrence elevated to the No. 5 all-time javelin competitor with his fourth-round throw of 236-8 (72.14m).

Wisconsin-Eau Claire crowned a pair of champions, with Mitch Stegeman accumulating 7,165 points in the decathlon to hold off Jackson Anderson of Williams at 7,079.

Yakob Ekoue prevailed in the shot put for the Blugolds with a fifth-round mark of 57-10.25 (17.63m). He was also second in the discus at 185-6 (56.55m) and third in the hammer at 195-11 (59.71m).

Steven Hermsen of Carroll (Wisconsin) triumphed in the discus with a 186-6 (56.84m) effort in the fifth round.

Widener teammates Alex Kristeller and Alden Littlefield took the top two spots in the hammer, with throws of 208-9 (63.64m) and 197-1 (60.07m), respectively.

Shevaughn Allen of Buffalo State won the men’s triple jump title with a 51-1 (15.57m) performance in the fourth round.

Gallaudet’s Eric Gregory clocked 45.93 to secure the 400-meter crown.

Lance Jensen of SUNY Geneseo ran 50.63 to capture the 400 hurdles championship.