After uncorking the winning throw at last weekend’s Northern Sun Conference meet, Wayne State sophomore Kacie O’Connor will be among the best in the nation as she qualified for the NCAA Div. II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for May 26-28 in Bradenton, Fla.
O’Connor has the 10th best mark in in Div. II after recording a persona-best throw of 158 feet, 7 inches to win the Northern Sun Conference title over the weekend in Sioux Falls.
O’Connor will compete at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 27 in the national meet. This is the fourth straight year that a Wayne State thrower has competed at nationals, joining Sara Wells, who completed the three previous years and won a national title in 2015; and Michaela Dendinger, who earned All-American honors in the discus last year.
O’Connor and male throw Bryan Dunn were also recognized by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross County Association with All-Region honors on Wednesday.
To be named All-Region, a student-athlete must be ranked in the top five of an individual event in the region, according to final TFRRS data. Dunn, who earned All-NSIC honors with a runner-up finish in the hammer throw at the NSIC meet last week, had the third best throw of the year in the region at 185-9. O’Connor’s mark at the NSIC ranks fourth int he Central Region, which includes the NSIC, MIAA and Great American conferences.
