From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – Clay Kummer broke a 46-year-old school record and qualified for nationals in the 400 hurdles Thursday afternoon as Viking Track & Field enjoyed a successful day at the Blue Hawk Games.
Valley City State athletes won nine events and had 19 Top 3 finishes at the five-team meet.
Complete Meet Results
Kummer, a sophomore, qualified to compete at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships for the first time in his career, winning the 400 hurdles with a national-qualifying time of 54.56 seconds. That also broke the 46-year-old school record of 55.20 seconds which was set by Lee Isakson in 1976. Kummer currently ranks 27th in the nation in the 400 hurdles. He also won the 110 hurdles on Thursday, finishing in a time of 15.86 seconds to sweep the hurdle events.
Brooke Malsom took home event titles in the women’s 200 meters and the long jump. She leaped 5.55 meters in long jump, finishing just four inches off the national qualifying distance of 5.65 meters. Hannah Gordon won the women’s shot put and was second in hammer throw. Kendra Odegard won the women’s javelin – which was contested on Wednesday – for the fifth straight meet. Odegard, a freshman, has not lost a javelin competition in her college career.
Zachary Co won the men’s hammer throw, while Noah Rolfe and Jayden Wheeling had event titles in men’s distance events. Rolfe won the 1500 meters in a time of 4:13.85, and Wheeling won the 3000 meter steeplechase with a career-best time of 10:52.
The top five finishers in each event earned team points. Valley City State placed third in the both the men’s and women’s team point totals. VCSU’s women scored 59 team points and the men scored 39. Athletes from VCSU, Dickinson State, University of Jamestown, University of Mary and Dawson Community College all competed at the meet.
VCSU Top 5 finishers are listed below.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to compete at the Ron Masanz Classic on Wednesday, May 4, in Moorhead. The Vikings might also send some athletes to the Dickinson State Last Chance Meet on May 5.
Blue Hawk Games
Thursday, April 28 – Dickinson, N.D.
VCSU Women – Top 5 Results
100 Meters: 3. Lily Baldwin, 13.31
200 Meters: 1. Brooke Malsom, 25.41; 4. Lily Baldwin, 27.69
1500 Meters: 5. Angeline Gannon, 5:22.94
100 Hurdles: 3. Taylor Sargent, 16.17
3000 Steeplechase: 4. Karly Just, 13:43.34
Long Jump: 1. Brooke Malsom, 5.55 meters; 3. Taylor Sargent, 5.06 meters
Triple Jump: 2. Brooke Malsom, 10.86 meters
Shot put: 1. Hannah Gordon, 11.64 meters; 2. Sadie Hansen, 11.36 meters
Discus: 3. Sadie Hansen, 35.52 meters; 4. Kendra Odegard, 35.07 meters; 4. Hannah Gordon, 35.07 meters
Hammer Throw: 2. Hannah Gordon, 40.50 meters; 3. Jade Azure, 36.11 meters
Javelin: 1. Kendra Odegard, 39.71 meters
VCSU Men – Top 5 Results
800 Meters: 2. Luis Garcia, 1:59.75
1500 Meters: 1. Noah Rolfe, 4:13.85
110 Hurdles: 1. Clay Kummer, 15.86
400 Hurdles: 1. Clay Kummer, 54.56 (School record, national qualifier)
3000 Steeplechase: 1. Jayden Wheeling, 10:52.00; 4. Alex Benner, 11:43.94
High Jump: 3. Jayden Gerringer, 1.90 meters
Hammer Throw: 1. Zachary Co, 51.22 meters