Storm look to cement places at national championships
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Four members of the Simpson College track and field teams attempted to cement their places at the NCAA Championships by competing at two separate meets this week.
Just three days removed from an all-conference performance in the decathlon at the American Rivers Conference Championships, Ulysses Patterson took second in the event at the Central College Last Chance.
Patterson set a new career-best with an overall total of 6,366 points, moving him into sixth place all-time in school history. More importantly, the total moves him into 21st place nationally at the time of writing, with the top 22 tentatively qualifying in each event. Patterson won four events, taking wins in three field events in the shot put (11.52 meters), discus (38.40 meters), and the javelin (45.79 meters). Patterson followed it up by winning the final event, the 1,500 meters, in 4:46.37, a new career-best by two seconds.
Competing at the Midwest Twilight Qualifier, hosted by Augustana, Max Cleveland and Carter Berkey are right on the cusp of qualifying for the national meet. The duo were two of three Storm members that qualified for the indoor national meet, but will have to keep an eye on other results. Cleveland coasted into the finals of the 110 meter hurdles, before taking third place in a new career-best 14.43. Cleveland is still fourth all-time in school history, but improved his time to now be tied for 19th nationally at the time of writing. While Berkey did not beat his season and career-best in the meet, the senior's career-best jump of 7.24 meters earlier this year tentatively has him in the field, ranking 21st nationally.
Maddie Hays was the lone Storm woman to compete at Augustana, running in the 400 meter hurdles. While Hays was just behind her career-best time set at the conference championships, she did take third place in a highly talented field in a time of 1:04.49.
Spencer Moon did not run after his wins in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, but is safely in the field for each. Moon currently ranks seventh in the 10,000 and 12th in the 5,000 event.
The qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be announced tomorrow in a press release. Stay tuned to simpsonathletics.com to see the official qualifiers.
