Ashland Men, Women Continue To Pile Up Nationals Marks

Ashland University's men's and women's outdoor track and field teams competed at two different locales on Friday (April 9), and continued to rack up marks for 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, May 27-29 at Grand Valley State.
 
At the Lee (Tenn.) Flames Invitational, senior Trevor Bassitt not only won the men's 200-meter dash in 20.52 seconds, but he set a new school record, his fourth of the outdoor season, and automatically qualified for outdoor nationals. Junior Keshun Jones was the runner-up in the 200 dash with a new provisional time of 21.07 seconds.
 
Senior Ian Johnson also earned a new provisional time on Friday, placing fourth in the men's 1,500 run in 3:47.27.
 
Another senior, Steven Kapes, was scheduled to run in the men's 10,000 run late Friday night, and the meet was behind schedule.
 
On Friday at the Walsh Invitational, four nationals marks were posted. Two of those came in the men's hammer throw, as senior Alex Hill won and improved upon his previous automatic mark at 67.78 meters/222-feet-4, and senior Brent Fairbanks was third and improved his previous provisional distance at 63.93 meters/209-feet-9.
 
In the women's hammer throw, junior Makayla Pop won with an improved provisional at 55.07 meters/180-feet-8, and in the women's shot put, junior Elizabeth Weimer was third with her new provisional mark of 14.16 meters/46-feet-5½.
 
First place – Hill in the discus throw (51.65 meters/169-feet-5), freshman Trent Kauffman in the men's pole vault (4.35 meters/14-feet-3¼), senior Cody Stine in the men's high jump (2.00 meters/6-feet-6¾), junior Cameron Shifflet in the men's 400 hurdles (54.39 seconds), Pop in the women's discus throw (44.00 meters/144-feet-4), sophomore Erin Sievers in the women's pole vaults (3.57 meters/11-feet-8½), and freshman Megan Rider in the women's high jump (1.44 meters/4-feet-8¾).
 
Second place – Freshman Noah Koch in the men's discus throw (51.03 meters/167-feet-5), freshman Bobby Crenshaw in the men's 400 dash (50.37 seconds), and junior Gabrielle Ewing in the women's pole vault (3.27 meters/10-feet-8¾).
 
Third place – Junior Matthew Long in the men's 3,000 steeplechase (10:14.48), senior David Amstutz in the men's shot put (15.87 meters/52-feet-0¾), freshman Emma Liberatore in the women's long jump (5.22 meters/17-feet-1½), freshman Elizabeth Adams in the women's 400 dash (1:00.03), sophomore Allie Holmes in the women's javelin throw (32.06 meters/105-feet-2), junior Carrol Pauley in the women's hammer throw (52.51 meters/172-feet-3), and the women's 4x400 relay team of Liberatore, freshman Peyton Perini, Adams and freshman McKenna Woodruff (4:09.77).
 
The second day of the Lee Flames Invitational will be Saturday (April 10) in Tennessee.