Oilers Complete Day One of NCAA Championship | Combs, Makin, Thompson Earn Honors

Allendale, Michigan- The University of Findlay men's and women's track and field teams completed day one of the NCAA DII National Championship today, May 26. The Oilers sent ten athletes to the competition, with five competing today. 

Leading the Oilers in their first event of the day was senior Austin Combs. Combs, the defending national champion, was seeded second in the men's hammer throw heading into the competition. After throws of 59.21m, 67.22m, and 67.88m, Combs threw his furthest of the day on his fifth attempt with a distance of 67.91m. He would ultimately take runner-up in the event, falling to Northern State's Tanner Berg who won the event with a throw of 69.61m. With his second place finish, Combs earns all-American honors. This is his fourth all-American honor in the event.

Following Combs, senior Gabe Makin competed in the men's pole vault. Makin finished tenth in the event after being seeded fifteenth entering the event. Makin cleared distances of 4.85m, 5.00m, and 5.10m before a failed attempts at 5.20m. He earned all-American honors with his performance today.

After a short rain delay, sophomore Kylie Ray took the track in the 400m hurdles. Ray, who was seeded eighteenth in the event, finished thirteenth in the prelims with a time of 1:01.14. Ray missed qualifying for the finals by 1.21 seconds. 

Representing the Oilers in the distance events was sophomore Noah Fisher and senior Hannah Thompson. Fisher entered the 10K as the tenth seed, finishing fifteenth in the event. He recorded a time of 30:09.96. Thompson then took the track in the final event of the day, entering the 10K as the eighth seed. She finished in sixth place in the event with a time of 33:57.06. Her time broke the school record that she had set previously this year by thirty seconds. Her finish earns her all-American honors. 

The Oilers will compete on day two tomorrow, May 27. Shakur Payton will represent the Oilers in the high jump and Austin Combs will be back on the field competing in the discus throw.