Michaela Dendinger continued what has been an outstanding outdoor track and field season Saturday with the best shot put in NCAA Div. II to highlight Wayne State’s effort at Saturday’s Loper Invitational in Kearney.
Dendinger won the shot put with a personal-best mark of 52 feet, 1 3/4 inches, which is now the top mark in NCAA Div. II. She also placed second in the discus (165-0) and was third in the hammer throw at 203-1, marking the third time this year she has bettered the 200-foot mark this season.
In other women’s field event results, Kacie O’Connor was eighth in the discus (149-2) while Shelby Roth and Shelby Poell each tied for ninth in the high jump, with both clearing 4-10 1/4.
In running events, Mary Alderson took third in the 400-meter dash (59.44) and sixth in the 200-meter dash (26.07) while Melissa Kroll was fifth in the 200 (26.02) and seventh in the 400 (1:00.77).
In men’s action, Brady Metz won the triple jump and Habib Jallow claimed top honors in the 400-meter hurdles.
Metz took first in the triple jump at 48-10 1/4, missing the school record by three-quarters of an inch, and also took second in the long jump at 23-4 1/2. Jallow had the other first place finish for the Wildcats in the 400 hurdles, winning in 56.90 seconds.
The Wildcat 400-meter relay team of Alyvns Alcenord, Braxton Adams, Clay Kramper and Jordan Zautke also finished first with a time of 41.68 seconds.
Other top finishers for the Wildcats included Jack Doughty taking third in the 5,000-meter run (16:26.59), Kramper placing fourth in the 400-meter dash (48.90), Nick Schmitt finishing fourth in the 800-meter run (1:59.02), Travis Eller was fourth in the long jump (21-8 1/4) and Zautke was fifth in the 100-meter dash at 11.11 seconds.
Nick Fly came in seventh in the 800 (1:59.15), Alcenord was seventh in the 200 (22.53) and Zautke was eighth (22.59) and Josh Spenner tied for eighth in the pole vault at 14-1 3/4. The 1,600-meter relay team of Nathan Pearson, Fly, Kak Ayaj and Joey Black came in fifth with a time of 3:42.30.
Wayne State will compete next weekend at the Sioux City Relays.
