Seven Polar Bears to make trip to 2017 NCAA Div. III Outdoor National Championships
By Caleb Scott
| Men's Qualifying List (Html) | Women's Qualifying List (Html) | Championships Page |
ADA — Seven members of the Ohio Northern men's and women's outdoor track and field team will represent ONU at the 2017 NCAA Div. III Outdoor National Championships this weekend at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
On the men's side seniors Kase Schalois (Van Wert) and Lucas Shumate (Wapakoneta/Spencerville) and junior Matt Molinaro (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle) will represent the Polar Bears.
Schalois qualified for the meet in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The senior owns the eighth fastest time nationally in the event which he set at the Dr. Keeler Invitational hosted by North Central (Ill.) College.
Schalois will compete at 4:30 pm in the prelims of the event on Thursday, May 25.
Shumate will represent Northern in the hammer throw.
The senior qualified for the event with a toss of 184' 8" at the Dr. Keeler Invitational and currently ranks 19th nationally in the event.
He will compete in the prelims of the event at 1:30 pm on Saturday May, 27.
Molinaro will compete in the 800-meter run for Northern.
The junior owns the fastest time nationally entering the meet.
He ran a 1:48.92 at the Long Beach State Beach Invitational and will look to claim his first national title as a Polar Bear.
Matt will compete in the prelims of the event on Friday May, 26 at 4 pm.
Seniors Kelsey Commager (Maumee) and Kendra Paul (Ada), junior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) and sophomore Maddy Reed (Lucasville/Piketon) will represent the Ohio Northern women at the championships.
Commager will make her appearance at the national meet in the triple jump.
The senior ranks 21st nationally in the event with a leap of 38' 4" which she set at the Dr. Keeler Invitational.
She will compete on Saturday May, 27 in the prelims of the event at 1:30 pm.
Paul will represent the Polar Bears in the javelin throw.
The senior ranks 16th in the country after breaking a 34-year old school-record in the event at the Dr. Keeler Invitational.
Paul will compete in the event on Thursday, May 25 at 3 pm.
Richards will represent Ohio Northern in two different events.
The junior currently owns the fastest time nationally in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs.
Richards owns the Div. III record in the 800-meter run and the sixth fastest time in Div. III history in the 1,500-meter run.
She will compete in the 1,500-meter run prelims at 2 pm on Thursday, May 25 before competing in the 800-meter run prelims on Friday May, 26 at 3:45 pm.
Reed will compete in the pole vault for Northern.
The sophomore currently owns the third best vault nationally after she broke her own ONU school record at the Keeler Invitational with a jump of 13' 0.75".
The women's pole vault is set to begin at 12 pm on Thursday May, 25.