ALLENDALE, Mich. – For Ashland University's men's discus throwers on Friday (May 28) at the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, it was the end of one era, and the beginning of another.
Senior
Alex Hill, in his last outdoor nationals, and freshman
Noah Koch, competing in his first outdoor nationals, each earned All-American status in the discus on Friday. Hill took fifth place with a top heave of 53.24 meters/174-feet-8, while Koch was seventh at 52.28 meters/171-feet-6.
Including the All-American citations awarded to each potential indoor nationals competitor in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hill has 10 career D-II All-American awards.
"It feels really good. It's a blessing, honestly," said Hill. "It's always nice, the people who believed in me before I got to this point. It's reassuring knowing that this program works. It's been awesome having Noah here. Having another guy there to push and pull on me throughout the whole season, it's been awesome."
For Koch, Friday marked his first All-American citation.
"It feels pretty good. Can't really complain too much," Koch said. "I'm just happy with it. I've still got four more years, so it was good to get here, get experience. It's really nice to be able to have him (Alex) here, especially in discus. You're not by yourself. It's good to have someone like that with you at all times."
The AU men's 4x400 relay team advanced to Saturday's (May 29) finals thanks to placing seventh in Friday's prelims. The quartet of juniors
Tim Rumas and
Travis Marx, sophomore
Brayden Chaney and senior
Channing Phillips finished in 3:14.10.
Additional Eagle preliminaries on Friday saw senior
Ian Johnson finish 11
th in the men's 800-meter run (1:53.23), senior
Javon Graham place 11
th in the men's 110 hurdles (15.03 seconds), and junior
Keshun Jones end in 14
th place in the men's 200 dash (21.69 seconds).
Senior
Trevor Bassitt did not compete in the prelims of the men's 110 hurdles due to injury.
"Overall, Day 2 was a tough day for us," said Ashland head coach
Jud Logan. "We were able to secure two All-Americans in the men's discus. Proud of Alex graduating with 10. We certainly didn't move enough people to the finals for our liking. The 4x4 was gritty in securing an auto bid.
"Tomorrow can be magnificent – 4x1, 4x4, Channing in open 4. Then we see
Ellie (Jindra) and
Rachel (Miller) etch their names in AU history."
Ashland's men have 12 team points through the first two days of nationals, slotting them eighth in the team standings.
The Saturday finals schedule for the Eagles is as follows:
1:00 p.m. – men's 4x100 relay finals
2:00 p.m. – men's 400 dash finals – Phillips
4:00 p.m. – men's 4x400 relay finals
5:15 p.m. – women's high jump – Jindra
7:05 p.m. – women's 400 hurdles finals – Miller
AU
TF/DS
