From VCSU Athletics

FARGO, N.D. – The Valley City State University track and field team set three school records, and Zachary Co qualified for nationals in two events at the indoor season opener Friday.

Co surpassed the NAIA national qualifying standards in both shot put and weight throw, punching his ticket to indoor nationals in both events. Taylor Sargent (pentathlon), Brooke Malsom (60 meters) and JT Reed (60 meters) all set school records at the meet, hosted by North Dakota State University in Fargo. 

 Co, a senior thrower, placed third in both the shot put and weight throw Friday. His throw of 17.14 meters in shot put (56 feet, 3 inches) was a career-best for indoor shot put and surpassed the NAIA ‘A’ Standard. Co is a two-time All-American in indoor shot put, placing fourth in the nation last season. In weight throw, Co threw 17.06 meters on Friday to top the ‘B’ Standard for nationals. 

 Malsom and Reed both sprinted their way to school records in the 60 meter dash. Reed broke the men’s school record with a time of 7.00 in the preliminary races, and then broke the record again with a time of 6.96 seconds in the finals. He placed second in the race and broke the old school record of 7.01 set by Joel Delacruz in 2018. 

 Malsom broke her own record in the 60 meters, crossing the line in a time of 8.06 seconds in the prelim races Friday. She placed seventh at the meet and bested her previous record by .02 seconds.

 In the women’s pentathlon, Taylor Sargent shattered her own record from last season. Sargent scored 2,716 points in Friday’s pentathlon, surpassing her old record of 2,457 points. 

 Eight total Vikings competed at the meet, which featured NCAA Division I and II schools. Clay Kummer (60 hurdles) and Aaron Kraus (600 meters) each placed sixth in their respective events, and Colby Mendiola was seventh in the shot put. 

 Up next: Valley City State will send the majority of its team to the University of Mary Marauder Invite on Dec. 11 in Bismarck. 

 NDSU Dakota Alumni Classic

VCSU Results

Women

60 Meter Dash: 7. Brooke Malsom, 8.14 (8.06 in prelims)

Long Jump: 9. Brooke Malsom, 5.12 meters

Pentathlon: 11. Taylor Sargent, 2,716 points; 19. Tyler Smith, 2,326 points

 Men

60 Meter Dash: 2. JT Reed, 6.96

400 Meters: 7. Clay Kummer, 53.30

600 Meters: 6. Aaron Kraus, 1:31.58

60 Hurdles: 6. Clay Kummer, 8.92

Shot Put: 3. Zachary Co, 17.14 meters; 7. Colby Mendiola, 13.17 meters

Weight Throw: 3. Zachary Co, 17.03 meters; 10. Colby Mendiola, 12.68 meters