By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fort Hays State track and field teams will send nine student-athletes to compete in eight events at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, announced Tuesday (Feb. 27) by the NCAA office. This year’s indoor meet is being held March 7-9 in Pittsburg, Kan. A total of 540 participants, 270 men and 270 women, will compete in the championships with 16 events
Seven Tigers will represent the men’s team in the distance medley relay, pole vault, heptathlon, high jump, 400m dash, and 800m dash with two student-athletes representing the women’s team in the pentathlon and pole vault
Hayden Albright qualified individually in the 400m dash thanks to his school-record time of 47.47, tenth-best in Division II this year. Albright has two outdoor All-American trophies and one indoor All-American for finishing seventh in last year’s 400m dash. Ethan Lang, senior from right here in Hays, has two All-American honors in his career as he looks to improve on his historic senior season. Lang has the sixth best 800m time in the county, clocking in at 1:49.40, fast enough for a school record in the 800m. Both Albright and Lang will compete in the distance medley relay (DMR) team along with Trever Medina and Grant Bradley. Fort Hays State’s DMR time of 9:43.55 ranks seventh in Division II and breaking yet another school record.
Jacob Clark returns to the national meet in the pole vault thanks to a top clearance of 16-8.75 this season, 11th best nationally. Clark earned All-American honors indoors two years in a row as he looks to add another All-American under his belt. Annabeth Baalmann, the sophomore pole vaulter, will look for her first All-American honors in Pittsburgh. Baalmann broke the women’s program pole vault record twice this season with a clearance of 13-0.75 earlier this season.
Nolan Churchman, two time indoor All-American, will compete in the heptathlon. The junior ranks eighth in the country this season with a top point total of 5,326. Taylor Savolt, senior multi-athelete, will represent the Tigers in the pentathlon. Her point total of 3769 she achieved this past weekend puts her 14th in the country.
Dayton Williams, high jumper from Gardner, Kan., will compete in the high jump. He achieved a jump of 6-11.5 earlier this season and ranks second in program history with the height jumped. Williams is looking for his first All-American honor in his career.
The two teams have combined for 50 national qualifying marks this season, including 32 from the men’s team and 18 from the women’s squad. Seven school records have been broken to date this year, including four men’s marks and three women’s records. The Tiger men rank 19th in the latest USTFCCCA MIAA rankings posted today (Feb. 27) while the women were ranked sixth in the MIAA before the season started. Both squads placed top five at the MIAA Championships. Women claimed third, their highest finish at the championships in program history.
2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships
Friday-Saturday, March 7-9 Pittsburg, Kan.
Schedule of Events – FHSU Competitors
Friday, March 8
Heptathlon – 10:00 a.m. – Nolan Churchman
Women’s Pole Vault – 3:25 p.m. – Annabeth Baalmann
400m Prelims – 4:00 p.m. – Hayden Albright
800m Prelims – 4:40 p.m. – Ethan Lang
Distance Medley Relay – 6:40 p.m. – Trever Medina, Hayden Albright, Ethan Lang, Grant Bradley
Saturday, March 9
Pentathlon – 10:00 a.m. – Taylor Savolt
Heptathlon Day Two – Noon – Nolan Churchman
High Jump – 3:30 p.m. – Dayton Williams
Pole Vault – 4:00 p.m. – Jacob Clark
400m Finals – 6:00 p.m. – Hayden Albright
800m Finals – 6:25 p.m. – Ethan Lang