OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Cody Stelzer set a new field record while winning the high jump on Friday evening at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Stelzer becomes the first-ever NCAA Division III men's champion at Whitworth.
Click here for the official championship website. A complete schedule of events, along with results, is posted on the official website. Stelzer (So., The Dalles, Ore.) cleared 6'-11.5" (2.12 meters) on his first try, setting a J.J. Keller Field record in the process. His mark also ties his own school record. Josh Jones of Thiel College also cleared 2.12 meters, but Stelzer was the winner based on total misses. Stelzer adds a national championship finish to his three previous All-America performances in the high jump. He has finished sixth (2007) and second (2008) at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, and he has followed up last season's outdoor third place finish with the national title. The last Whitworth man to win a track and field individual national title was Nathan Whelham in the javelin at the 1991 NAIA championships in Burnaby, B.C. Ben Spaun (Sr., Wenatchee, Wash.) moved up three places to finish 13th in the decathlon, despite suffering a pulled hamstring in the decathlon's first event on Thursday (100 dash). He struggled through the pain to 5,818 points, finishing 5th in the discus (122'-9") and 7th in the javelin (150'-2"). Beresford Brown of Moravian College Also on Friday Emmanuel Bofa (So., Puyallup, Wash.) finished second in his heat of the 800 meter run with a time of 1:52.71 to qualify for Saturday's championship final. Bofa finished fourth in the same event last season. Brandon Howell (Sr., Clarkston, Wash.) posted his second best time of the season (1:53.96) in the second heat, but finished seventh and did not advance to Saturday's final. Also on Saturday four Whitworth throwers will compete in their events. Jeff Kintner (So., Wenatchee, Wash.) will compete in the shot put. A trio of Pirates, led by Kory Kemp (Jr., Redmond, Wash.), will throw the javelin. Kemp was third in that event last season and is seeded third heading into tomorrow. Joey VanHoomissen (Jr., Renton, Wash.) and Alex Hymel (Fr., Damascus, Ore.) will also throw the javelin on Saturday. With the 10 points from Stelzer's title in the high jump, Whitworth is currently tied for sixth place in the team standings. Last season the Whitworth men finished 16th at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the highest team finish since the Pirates left the NAIA following the 1997 season. Go to Athletics Home Page >> Track & Field >> Sports Releases >> |
