Men's Track and Field | 5/25/2024 11:01:00 PM

May 25, 2024-Emporia State had three top 15 marks on the final day of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships on Saturday at Welch Stadium and Witten Track.
 
Mele Taula earned a pair of top 12 honors for the Hornet women.  She was 11^th in the javelin with a throw of 45.91m (150-7)  after finishing 12^th with a mark of 14.64m (48-00.50) in the shot put.
 
Travis Morrison placed 15^th with a throw of 16.99m (55-09.00) in the men's shot put.
 
Pittsburg State swept the men's and women's team titles. The Gorilla men won by 14 points over West Texas A&M and were joined in the top four by MIAA member Missouri Southern in fourth place. The Pittsburg State women won by 28 points over Adams State.
 
RECORD SETTING DAY PART III
Witten Track and the throws facilities at Welch Stadium saw three all-time Division II performances, four marks that exceeded the NCAA Championship record and 13 facility records set on Saturday.
 
The day started with Southern Connecticut State's Jordan Davis hitting the best javelin mark in the United States this year.  His throw of 84.45m (277-00) broke the meet record  of 79.14m (269-8 set by Angelo State's Devoux Deysel last year, the facility record of 82.45m (270-6) set by Ed Kaminski of Stars and Stripes Track Club in 1994, and Davis' own all-time D2 mark of 83.77m (274-10) set earlier this year.  He ranked #1 in the United States and #10 in the world at this time.
 
Minnesota State's Denisha Cartwright had one of the more dominant meets in Division II history.  She ran the fifth fastest collegiate all condition 100m hurdle time in history. Her time of 12.37 with a 4.2 wind is better than any other Division II runner in history and is better than Vashti Thomas 12.56 ran in 2013 and Thomas' meet record of 12.70 set in 2013. She also broke Suzanne Dickinson's Witten Track record of 13.44 set in the 1999 National Championships.  Cartwright also broke Lorraine Graham of Lincoln's facility record of 23.06 set in the 1997 MIAA Championships with a time of 22.96 in the 200m.  Cartwright also finished second in the 100m.
 
Alexis Brown of Lenoir Rhyne won the 100m in 10.96 to become the first Division II woman to break 11 seconds in the event. She bettered her own D2 all-time best of 11.04 set earlier this year, the D2 Championship meet record of 11.18 set in 2009 by Lincoln's Semoy Hackett and St. Augustine's Barbara Pierre, and Beverly Grant from Lincoln's Witten Track record of 11.20 set in the 1997 MIAA Championships.  
 
West Texas A&M's Isaac Botsio set the other Division II Championship meet and facility record running 9.98 in the 100m to snap his own record of 9.99 set earlier in the championships. He joined Jace Lynch, Jerry Jakpa and Jeremiah Lauzon to break the facility record in the 4x100m relay with a time of 39.42.  They broke Abilene Christian's record of 39.96 set at the 2006 NCAA Championships.
 
Wes Ferguson of Neb.-Kearney set the facility record with a time of 1:47.84 in the men's 800m to top Savieri Ngidhi from Abilene Christian's mark of 1:48.09 at the 1995 national championships.
 
Grand Valley State's Myles Kerner broke the Welch Stadium record in the shot put with toss of 19.94m (65-05.00) to better Christian Cantwell's record of 19.71m (64-08.00) at the 2001 ESU Twilight Qualifier.
 
The foursome of Prince Griffin, Gavyn Monday, Logan Arellano and Truman Hare wrapped up the men's meet with a facility record of 3:06.41 in the 4x400m relay.  They broke the previous record of 3:06.69 run by St. Augustine at the 1995 National Championships.
 
Gracie Hyde from Adams State picked up her second facility record of the weekend. She ran 4:16.80 to win the 1500m and break Mirsada Adam also of Adams State's mark of 4:22.05 set at the 1995 NCAA Championships.
 
Erika Beistle of Grand Valley State broke Rebekah Green from Kansas State's facility record of 16.68m (54-08.75) with a throw of 16.82m (55-02.25) to win the women's shot put.
 
West Texas A&M's Florance Uwajeneza ran 16:33.00 to break the Witten Track record originally set by Kirsten O'Hara competing unattached at 16:57.57 at the 1997 ESU Relays.
 
The final race of the day resulted in the final facility record of the weekend.  Angelo State's foursome of Zykia McDaniel, Fatoumata Kabo, Kylie Frush, and Shadae Findley were clocked in 3:32.88 to break the previous mark of 3:38.77 set by Lincoln at the 2022 MIAA Championships.
 
There were a total of seven Championship Meet records and 22 facility records set during the three days of competition.
 
Emporia State will play host to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships again in 2026.
 
ESU Individual Results

Women
Shot Put
12 Mele Taula	14.64m (48-00.50)
Javelin
11 Mele Taula	45.91m (150-7)
Men
Shot Put
15 Travis Morrison	16.99m (55-9.00)

 
All-Time NCAA Division II Bests

Men
Javelin	84.45m (277-0)	Jordan Davis, Southern Connecticut State
Women
100m	10.96 (3.2)	Alexis Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
100m Hurdles	12.37 (4.2)	Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State

 
NCAA Division II Championship Meet Records

Men
100m	9.98 (2.8)	Isaac Botsio, West Texas A&M
Javelin	84.45m (277-0)	Jordan Davis, Southern Connecticut State
Women
100m	10.96 (3.2)	Alexis Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
100m Hurdles	12.37 (4.2)	Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State

 
Welch Stadium/Witten Track Records

Men
100m	9.98 (2.8)	Isaac Botsio, West Texas A&M
800m	1:47.84	Wes Ferguson, Neb.-Kearney
4x100m Relay	39.42	West Texas A&M
		Jace Lynch, Jerry Jakpa, Jeremiah Lauzon, Isaac Botsio
4x400m Relay	3:06.41	Northwest Missouri
		Prince Griffin, Gavyn Monday, Logan Arellano, Truman Hare
Shot Put	19.94m (65-05.00)	Myles Kerner, Grand Valley State
Javelin	84.45m (277-0)	Jordan Davis, Southern Connecticut State
Women
100m	10.96 (3.2)	Alexis Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
200m	22.91	Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State
1500m	4:16.80	Gracie Hyde, Adams State
5000m	16:33.00	Florance Uwajeneza, West Texas A&M
100m Hurdles	12.37 (4.2)	Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State
4x400m Relay	3:32.88	Angelo State
		Zykia McDaniel, Fatoumata Kabo, Kylie Frush, Shadae Findley
Shot Put	16.82m (55-02.25)	Erika Beistle, Grand Valley State