Oilers Complete Day 1 of NCAA Championship
Junior Justin Welch won a national title in the hammer throw on May 22 at the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championship, which is being held in Allendale, Mich.
Welch, who won an indoor title earlier this year in the weight throw, had a winning throw of 229'01. The 2014 Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year bettered the competition by 13 feet as Grand Valley State's Darien Thornton took second in the event with a mark of 216'03.
The Luckey, Ohio native holds the school record in the hammer throw with a toss of 233'07. The mark, which was set earlier this season at the Toledo Invitational on May 9, is the second furthest throw in the history of NCAA Division II track and field.
Freshman Alexander Zolotoglavyy took part in the long jump for the Oilers as well and came away with a ninth place finish at 24'03.
The win by Welch gave Findlay ten points in the team standings and they will enter the second day of competition in a tie for second place with Ashland and Southern Indiana.
Three members of the Oilers women's track team were also in action during the first day of competition as well.
Senior Pam Showman completed four events in the heptathlon and is currently in sixth place in the event. Showman has a total of 1,524 points so far and will complete the event tomorrow.
Junior Maud Sanmiquel added a 13th place finish in the 400-meter hurdles after crossing the finish line in 1:01.40 while freshman Erica King was also in action, taking 13th place in the hammer throw at 167'11.
The national meet will continue tomorrow and run through Saturday.