2017 Outdoor Track National Championship Preview
NCAA DII Outdoor National Championship
Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay track and field teams are heading to Bradenton, Florida for the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship which begins on Thursday, May 25 and will conclude on Saturday, May 27. Findlay's women's team will enter the event as the 16th ranked team in the country, the ninth straight week they have been ranked in the top-25.
Five athletes will be heading to the event from the women's squad led by two in the hammer throw. Erica King, the GLIAC champion, is ranked 4th in the country after a toss of 61.34 at the Miami Duals and senior Liz Streacker is ranked 9th with a distance of 59.28m recorded at the Miami Duals.
In the discus is junior Alex DeVincentis who is ranked 10th with a heave of 50.52m at the GVSU Last Chance Meet.
DeVincentis will be one of two representing the Oilers in the women's shot put. DeVincentis is ranked 6th after a toss of 15.24m at the GVSU Second to Last Chance Meet. Also earning a trip in the shot put is Holly Averesch who had a season-best throw of 14.52m at the GVSU Second to Last Chance Meet. She is ranked 22nd in the country in the event.
The only non-thrower on the women's side is junior Milani Glass who earned the right to compete in the 100m hurdles. She is the GLIAC champion in the event and is ranked 16th in the nation with a season-best of 13.77 seconds which she ran at the 2017 Aggie Last Chance meet.
On the men's side, Lenell Shelby III, the GLIAC champion in the 400 meter hurdles, qualified in the event with a season best time of 52.30 that he ran at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
Earning a trip in the shot put is Ben Hahler who owns the 4th best throw in the country with a throw of 18.10m and sophomore Austin Combs qualified in the hammer throw with a toss of 61.92m, the 7th best in the nation.