Nelson Qualifies for Nationals, Howard Claims Hurdles Title at Midwest Classic
EMPORIA, Kan. - Competing at Emporia State for the second time this outdoor season, the Baker track and field team turned in a solid outing at the Hornets' Midwest Classic this past Thursday and Friday, highlighted by a national-qualifying performance from Caleb Nelson and an individual title by Isaiah Howard.
Overall, the Wildcats totaled 17 top-10 finishes in Emporia, including the men's 4x400-meter relay team that placed fifth and Howard's first-place showing in the men's 110-meter hurdles.
After finishing third in the prelims, Howard, a transfer from Fort Scott CC, clocked a sub-15 second time (14.98) in the finals of the 110m hurdles to lead the pack and come away with his first individual title of the spring.
Naomi Kilson (26.11) earned a top-10 finish in the women's 200m after coming in ninth and Trot Wood ran his fastest 200m time of the outdoor season (22.12) and placed 12th overall in the event on the men's side.
Makenna Longacre (16.77) took seventh in the women's 100-meter hurdles and Rylee Lansdown (1:12.82) added a ninth-place finish in the 400m hurdles.
Jaden Vohs and Natalie Kennedy each finished among the top-10 in their respective 800m races with Vohs running under two minutes for the first time on a personal-best 1:59.13 and Kennedy recording her best time with a 2:29.34. Kennedy (5:08.48) chalked up a second ninth-place finish in the 1,500m.
Highlighting things in the field events, Nelson became Baker's second national qualifier this outdoor season after he marked a throw of 57.79 meters in the javelin to eclipse the NAIA 'A' standard. He joined Gage Hiebert as the two Wildcats to secure their spots in next month's NAIA Outdoor Championships as Hiebert went ahead and logged a second straight outing going over the 61-meter mark (61.13m) and finished seventh in the event on Friday.
Kameron Glasper tallied a pair of top-10 finishes after placing fifth in the discus (46.82m) and taking eighth in the shot put (13.75m). Ryan Jensen and Caden West gave the Wildcats a strong showing in the men's hammer throw with Jensen (44.30m) earning a sixth-place finish and West marking his furthest toss of the year with a 43.30m and placing ninth.
Dontez Carr and Jackson Stoppel added two more ninth-place showings for BU with Carr registering his best, legal, distance of the season in the triple jump (13.41m) and Stoppel bowing out of the men's pole vault at the 4.18-meter mark.
With the Heart Championships less than three weeks away, Baker will travel up the road to compete at the Kansas Relays on April 18-20 out at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kan.
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