On Day 2 of the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, Friday (March 12) at Birmingham, Ala., Ashland University's men's indoor track and field team earned two more All-American honors – and put itself in line for a potential third consecutive team national championship.
Thanks to All-American efforts from senior
Travis Moore in the men's heptathlon, and the men's distance medley relay quartet of junior
Jake Hall, senior
Trevor Bassitt, sophomore
Nick Ponzi and senior
Ian Johnson, the Eagle men have 15 team points through seven of 17 events.
Friday started with Moore placing third in the men's heptathlon with 5,266 points. It is Moore's first All-American honor, and is tied for the best nationals finish by an Eagle in the event (
Carsten Krohn, 2010).
Then, Hall, Bassitt, Ponzi and Johnson placed fifth in the DMR in 9:50.52 – placing the Eagles as a team in fifth, behind only Grand Valley State (29), Pittsburg State (23), Tiffin (18), and Texas A&M-Commerce (15.5).
This is Bassitt's seventh All-American award, and the first each for Johnson, Hall and Ponzi.
Ashland's men won both the 2019 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor team national titles. The 2020 D-II indoor and outdoor nationals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bassitt began his quest to place highly in five events at nationals by winning the semifinals of the 60-meter hurdles in 7.78 seconds, earning a spot in the finals of the 60 dash in 6.77 seconds, then taking first in the men's 200 dash semifinals in 20.87 seconds.
Junior
Tim Rumas also will be in the 60 dash finals after recording a time of 6.84 in Friday's semifinals, and in the 200 dash finals following a 21.57-second showing in the semis.
In the men's mile semifinals, Johnson qualified for the finals thanks to his 4:06.59 in heat No. 1. Senior
Channing Phillips then did the same in the men's 400 semifinals, crossing the finish line in 47.86 seconds.
Friday night, senior
Rachel Miller moved on to Saturday's finals in the women's 400 dash, qualifying in the semifinals with a time of 56.22 seconds.
On Saturday (March 13), the third and final day of indoor nationals will take place, with the following schedule for Eagle athletes:
- 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. East – Men's mile (finals) – Johnson
- 2:10 p.m. Central/3:10 p.m. East – Men's 60 dash (finals) – Bassitt, Rumas
- 2:20 p.m. Central/3:20 p.m. East – Men's 400 dash (finals) – Phillips
- 2:30 p.m. Central/3:30 p.m. East – Men's 60 hurdles (finals) – Bassitt
- 2:50 p.m. Central/3:50 p.m. East – Men's 200 dash (finals) – Bassitt, Rumas
- 3:20 p.m. Central/4:20 p.m. East – Men's 4x400 relay – Rumas, Jones, Phillips and Bassitt
- 6:20 p.m. Central/7:20 p.m. East – Women's 400 dash (finals) – Miller
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