By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
NEW ORLEANS – The Fort Hays State track and field programs racked up a school-record 24 USTFCCCA All-Region honors during the 2022 outdoor season, announced Wednesday (June 22) by the coaches association. Fourteen different student-athletes earned at least one accolade, including nine men picking up 16 awards and five women achieving eight honors.
Mattie Rossi and Nolan Churchman both earned a trio of honors this season, tied for the most by a Tiger student athlete during a single season (Dillando Allotey 2017 outdoor, Cory Keehn 2015 indoor, Samantha Woodburn 2014 outdoor).
Lyric Holman, Hayden Albright, Philip Landrum, Ethan Lang, Xavier Robinson and Robbie Schmidt all earned a pair of regional awards, while Addie Berens, Alexandra Hart, Gretchen Kuffel, Jacob Clark, Cole Diffenbaugh and Jack Pakkebier also earned a spot on the All-Region list.
The top five individuals in each event from each region earn All-Region distinction, in addition to each member of the region’s top three relay teams. Schools from the MIAA, the Northern Sun and the Great American Conference are included in the Central Region.
Addie Berens collected All-Region status for the second year in a row in the javelin throw after a top mark of 154-4 at the MIAA Championships, good for second-best in the region.
Alexandra Hart is now a four-time All-Region winner after again earning the award in the high jump. The sophomore cleared a top height of 5-8 at the KT Woodman Classic, fourth-best in the region.
Lyric Holman took home a pair of All-Region honors for the second outdoor season in a row, again doubling up in the 100 meters and 200 meters. She now has six regional awards including a pair of honors indoors. The Junction City, Kan. native ran a top wind-legal 100m time of 11.53 at the Loper Twilight, third-fastest in the region, while posting a top time of 23.78 in the 200m dash at the same event to finish fifth in the region.
Gretchen Kuffel picked up her first All-Region award after breaking the school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The Peoria, Ariz. native won the MIAA Championship with a time of 10:47.30 in the race, fifth-best in the region.
Mattie Rossi’s three honors came in the 100m hurdles, the 400m hurdles and the heptathlon. The junior now has five career All-Region awards after picking up a pair of honors last outdoor season. Rossi ran the fifth-fastest time in the 100m hurdles in the region at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, crossing the line in 13.69. She broke the school record with a time of 58.11 in the 400m hurdles at the national championships, second-fastest in the region. She also set the school record in the heptathlon with 5,214 points at the Bryan Clay Invitational, the third-highest point total in the region this season.
On the men’s side, Hayden Albright earned All-Region status on a pair of relay teams for the second year in a row, giving him four career All-Region awards. The 4x100m squad ran a top time of 40.54, third-fastest in the region. The 4x400m relay team set the school record with a time of 3:11.06 at the MIAA Championships, also third-best in the region.
Nolan Churchman’s trio of awards came in the 400 meters, the decathlon and the 4x400m relay. The sophomore set the school record with 7,192 points in the decathlon at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, the third-highest point total in the region. He ran the third-fastest 400m time in the region after crossing the line in 47.30 at the MIAA Championships. Churchman now has five career region honors, including four outdoor and one indoor.
Jacob Clark earned his first All-Region award after setting the outdoor school record in the pole vault with a clearance of 17-3 at the ESU Midwest Classic, the fifth-best clearance in the region this year.
Cole Diffenbaugh is another first time All-Region recipient after helping the 4x100m relay team to the third-best time in the region.
Philip Landrum grabbed All-Region status in both the 100 meters and the 4x100m relay, giving the junior 10 career regional awards. He now has six All-Region awards outdoor and four indoor. Landrum ran a time of 10.40 in the 100m dash at the MIAA Championships, fifth-best in the region.
Ethan Lang collected a pair of All-Region honors, doing so in the 800 meters and the 4x400m relay. The Hays native posted the fourth-best time in the region in the 800-meter run, posting a mark of 1:49.48 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He now has three career regional honors after picking up the 4x400m relay award for the second year in a row.
Jack Pakkebier was also on the All-Region 4x400m relay team for the second-consecutive season.
Xavier Robinson now has four career regional plaques after picking up the honor in the triple jump and the 4x100m relay this year. He cleared a distance of 49-9 at the Loper Twilight, fifth-best in the region. He also earned the honor in the triple jump during the indoor season and was on the 4x100m relay squad in 2021.
Robbie Schmidt achieved All-Region status in both the 5,000m run and the 10,000m run after breaking the school record in both races. The senior’s time of 29:22.63 in the 10K at the Bryan Clay Invitational was second-best in the region, while his mark of 14:05.87 in the 5K at the Texas Relays was fourth-best in the region. These are Schmidt’s first two All-Region honors in track and field, while the Topeka native is a one-time All-Region winner in cross country (2021).
Fort Hays State had the third-most All-Region honors amongst MIAA programs.
2022 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Central Region Selections
Addie Berens – Javelin – 154-4
Alexandra Hart – High Jump – 5-8
Lyric Holman – 100 Meters – 11.53 *
Lyric Holman – 200 Meters – 23.78
Gretchen Kuffel – 3,000m Steeplechase – 10:47.30
Mattie Rossi – 100m Hurdles – 13.69
Mattie Rossi – 400m Hurdles – 58.11
Mattie Rossi – Heptathlon – 5,214
Nolan Churchman – 400 Meters – 47.30
Nolan Churchman – Decathlon – 7,192
Jacob Clark – Pole Vault – 17-3
Philip Landrum – 100 Meters – 10.40
Ethan Lang – 800 Meters – 1:49.48
Xavier Robinson – Triple Jump – 49-9
Robbie Schmidt – 5,000 Meters – 14:05.87
Robbie Schmidt – 10,000 Meters – 29:22.63
Cole Diffenbaugh, Xavier Robinson, Hayden Albright, Philip Landrum – 4x100m Relay – 40.54
Hayden Albright, Jack Pakkebier, Ethan Lang, Nolan Churchman – 4x400m Relay – 3:11.06
Bold indicates school record
* Holman ran a school-record 11.41 in the 100m, but as a wind-aided mark it was not included on the regional performance chart