BILLINGS, Mont. – Minot State All-American
Leif Nelson is setting himself up for another run at another All-American honor.
In his first meet of the outdoor season, Nelson shattered his own NCAA Division II-era school record in the javelin, winning the event with the sixth-best throw in the nation at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bear Open on Saturday hosted by Montana State-Billings and Rocky Mountain College.
Nelson launched a throw of 222 feet, 7 inches for the victory in the men's javelin, a new record as he broke his old record of 210-1 he set last year. He also put himself in great position for a trip to the NCAA National Championship in late May with his provisional qualifying throw.
The victory was one of two on the day for the Minot State track and field teams as
Nathan Trujillo-Aragon won the men's 400-meter hurdles, and one of two new NCAA D-II era school records as
Chase Snyder broke the school record in the men's shot put.
Trujillo-Aragon won the hurdles in 55.82 seconds, while Snyder broke the D-II era school record in the shot with a throw of 50 feet, 8.75 inches, good for fourth in the event on the day. Snyder broke the old record of 48-3.27 set by
Corbin Harris last season.
Snyder also added a third-place finish in the discus on the day with a throw of 147-6.
Adding top finishes on the day were
Francis Short Bull, who was second in the men's 400 meters in 51.48, and Minot State's men's 4x400 relay team of
Peyton Tuhy,
Devontae Daley,
Juan Gutierrez,
Matthew Todd, which also finished second in 3:28.86.
Charles Hardcastle added a sixth-place finish in the men's 1,500 in 4:10.45 and
Damian Nino was seventh in the men's 200 in 23.50, for the Minot State men, while
Sidra Sadowsky and
Summer Krebsbach led the way for the Beaver women. Krebsbach was 8
th in the 100 in 13.31 and 10
th in the 200 in 27.96, while Sadowsky raced her way to a third-place finish in the women's 1,500 in 4:52.90.
With the outdoor season now underway for Minot State, the Beavers return to action next weekend competing at the University of South Dakota Open on Friday and Saturday.
