ABERDEEN, S.D. — The Wayne State College men hold the team lead with 43.5 points after the opening day of the 2022 Northern Sun Conference Track and Field Championships, while the women sit in third place heading into the final day of competition.
The Wildcat men ended the first day with one NSIC champion, three NSIC runner ups, one new school record and one NCAA provisional mark.
The Wildcats scored 18 points in the decathlon thanks to a 1-2 finish by senior Noah Lilly and freshman Alex Brandt. Lilly won the 10-event competition with 6,006 points, highlighted by a first-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 14 fee, 8 1/4 inches. Brandt was right behind in second place with 5,878 points that included a first-place finish in the high jump (6-4 1/4).
Dylan Kneifl eclipsed his own school record in the high jump, clearing 6-11 1/2 to break his old school mark by a half-inch. He also set a new NCAA provisional mark in the event.
Cole Christoffersen also earned All-NSIC honors with a second-place mark in the hammer throw at 189-5.
Other medal winners for the Wildcats on the opening day included Logan Moeller taking fifth in the long jump with a top mark of 23-9, Daniel Elge was sixth in the shot put (49-9 1/4) and Aaron English tied for sixth in the high jump, clearing 6-3 1/4.
Wayne State holds a slight half-point lead over MSU Moorhead, 43.5-43, with Augustana a close third at 41 points.
Thanks to a 1-2 finish in the hammer throw and four medal winners in the shot put, the Wayne State women are in third place following the opening day of action.
Graduate student Mckenzie Scheil had a solid first day, winning the hammer throw while earning All-NSIC honors with a third-place mark in the shot put. Her winning mark in the hammer throw was 184-7 while also adding a third in the shot put (47-3 3/4) to earn All-NSIC honors.
Brooklynn Chipps was an All-NSIC finisher in the hammer throw, taking second at 182-0, to go with a fifth-place finish in the shot put at 44-9 3/4.
WSC had two other medal winners in the shot put with Kendra Paasch taking sixth at 43-4 1/4 while freshman Brooke Languis was eighth at 43-1 1/2. Jadin Wagner collected a seventh-place mark in the hammer throw at 160-9.
Minnesota State holds a commanding team lead over Augustana 79-42 with Wayne State in third at 34 points. The University of Mary (33.5) and Sioux Falls (22.5) round out the top five.
The second and final day of the NSIC Track and Field Championships begins Saturday with field events at 11 a.m. and all running finals starting at 1 p.m.
