FHSU Athletics
NEW ORLEANS - The Fort Hays State men's track and field team climbed to No. 20 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II National Rating Index, released Tuesday.
Senior sprinter Hayden Albright has emerged as one of the top athletes in the MIAA, securing NCAA provisional qualifying marks in three events. Including the 60-meter dash (6.83), 200-meter dash (21.39), and 400-meter dash (47.93). Notably, Albright is the only athlete in the conference to achieve provisional standards in all three events.
In the field events, Jacob Clark continues to make an impact in the pole vault, ranking fourth in Division II after clearing 17-2.75 earlier this indoor season. Multi-event standouts Nolan Churchman and Ethan Salmans are among the nation's top heptathlon competitors. Churchman made a statement last weekend by winning the event in Topeka, Kan., and now holds the third-best mark in Division II this season.
As a team, the Tigers are currently ranked seventh in the Central Region and sixth in the MIAA. Fort Hays State boasts four event groups ranked in the top 20 of the USTFCCCA event squad rankings, highlighted by the pole vault unit, which ranks third nationally, and the 200-meter group, which sits at sixth.
The pole vaulters will look to improve their marks this Friday (Feb. 7) at the Steve Miller Invitational while the men's team will look towards the 10th Annual Russ Jewett Indoor Gorilla Classic to improve their indoor marks. This event will be held in Pittsburg, Kan. and will be a two day event (Feb. 14-15).