FHSU Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS - The Fort Hays State men's and women's track and field teams will send eight student-athletes to compete in nine events at the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, announced Tuesday by the NCAA office. Emporia State University will host the meet May 23-25 at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kan.
Both the men's and women's squads will send four athletes to the national meet. Representing the men will be Keomonie Archie in the long jump, Grant Bradkey in the 3,000m steeplechase, Jacob Clark in the pole vault and Dayton Williams in the high jump. Individuals from the women's team heading to Emporia include Annabeth Baalmann in the pole vault, Addie Berens in the javelin throw, Rhyann Brown in the javelin throw and Taylor Savolt in both the heptathlon and 400m hurdles.
Savolt is competing at the national level for a fifth time in her career. This is the senior's second trip to the outdoor meet after earning first team All-America honors in the 400m hurdles last spring. She added a second All-America recognition with a second-team finish in the indoor pentathlon earlier this season. This is Savolt's first time competing in the heptathlon at the national meet. The Garden City, Kan. native qualified after posting a personal-best 5,152 points in the heptathlon at the MIAA Championships earlier this month while running a season-low time of 59.59 in the 400m hurdles.
Berens looks to add her fourth-career All-America honor as she heads to the outdoor national meet for a fourth-consecutive season. The Tampa, Kan. native finished 11th in the javelin throw in 2021, fourth in 2022 and seventh in 2023. The senior qualified for this year's meet thanks to a top toss of 150-5, set in late March in Kearney, Neb.
Brown will also be competing in the javelin throw at the national stage for a fourth-consecutive season. The Osborne, Kan. native finished 17th at nationals in 2021, 17th in 2022 and 21st in 2023. The senior ranks sixth in DII this season with a top toss of 158-2 set this weekend in Kearney.
Baalmann heads to nationals for the second time this season after placing eighth in the pole vault at the indoor meet earlier this season in Pittsburg, Kan., earning her first All-America trophy. The Colwich, Kan. sophomore broke the outdoor school record during the first week of the season and later broke the record two more times, finishing the year with a top clearance of 13-0.25 at the MIAA Championships in Maryville, Mo. to place second and earn her first All-MIAA medal.
Clark will be competing at the national stage for a fifth time in his career. He has earned All-America honors in each of his previous trips to the national meet, including three first-team trophies and one second-team distinction. The Nottingham, England native placed sixth indoors in 2022, ninth outdoors in 2022, sixth indoors in 2023 and eight indoors earlier this season. The junior surpassed 17 feet three times during the outdoor season, including a season-best 17-3.5 in Kearney in April that ranks fifth in DII this season.
This is Bradley's first trip to the outdoor national meet, while it is his second appearance at nationals overall. The Aurora, Colo. native helped the men's distance medley relay team earn All-America honors earlier this season indoors, placing sixth. The junior qualified thanks to a season-best time of 8:53.61 in the 3,000m steeplechase set in April in California, the fastest time by a Tiger during the DII era by more than 16 seconds. That time ranks Bradley 13th on the DII performance chart this season.
Williams is headed to his third national meet and his second-such event outdoors. The senior posted a top finish of 16th at indoor nationals this year, clearing 6-7.75. Williams became just the second Tiger to clear seven feet during the DII era this season, finishing fourth at the conference championships with a top clearance of 7-0.25. The Gardner, Kan. native is tied for 12th in DII this spring with that clearance.
Archie is the lone Tiger making their debut at the national meet this season. The Hays freshman broke an 18-year-old school record in the long jump on the final day of the regular season, soaring 24-9.25 to clinch his spot at nationals.
FHSU Event Schedule - 2024DII Outdoor Championships
Emporia, Kan. - Welch Stadium
Thursday, May 23
11:00 a.m. - Women's Heptathlon (100mH, HJ, SP, 200m) - Taylor Savolt
2:30 p.m. - Men's Long Jump - Keamonie Archie
3:00 p.m. - Women's Pole Vault - Annabeth Baalmann
6:40 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Prelims - Grant Bradley
7:55 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles Prelims - Taylor Savolt
Friday, May 24
10:30 a.m. - Women's Heptathlon (LJ, JT, 800m) - Taylor Savolt
3:30 p.m. - Men's High Jump - Dayton Williams
7:15 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Finals - Grant Bradley
Saturday, May 25
12:30 p.m. - Men's Pole Vault - Jacob Clark
1:30 p.m. - Women's Javelin Throw - Rhyann Brown, Addie Berens
4:20 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles Finals - Taylor Savolt