GULF SHORES, Ala. – Four members of the Dakota Wesleyan University track and field teams competed at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships over the weekend in Gulf Shores, Ala.
For the eighth time in her career, senior Nicole Court-Menendez (Lewiston, Maine) competed at the NAIA Championships (four indoor, four outdoor). She came into the women's 5,000-meter racewalk on Friday looking to get on the podium for a sixth time. Court-Menendez finished the race in 29 minutes, 15.51 seconds taking ninth place in the field of 13. The finish left Court-Menendez off the podium by one spot, closing her career with five NAIA All-American finishes (three indoor, two outdoor).
Senior Jessica Fossum (Canton, S.D.) competed Thursday and Friday in the women's heptathlon. After sitting in 16th place after the first four events on day one, Fossum charged up the leaderboard to take 11th-place in the event with a school record 4,305 points. She placed ninth in the heptathlon long jump with a leap of 4.92 meters, fourth in the javelin with a throw of 34.95 meters and seventh in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:24.77 all on the second day of competition.
Also competing for the Tiger women was freshman Abigail Collingham (Polk, Neb.). She was unable to clear the bar in three attempts at 3.40 meters in her first national championship appearance in the pole vault.
Freshman thrower Ben Hammer (Dell Rapds, S.D.) was the lone member of the men's team to make the trip to Alabama to compete in the shot put and discus events. On Friday, Hammer took 19th in the discus with a throw of 45.94 meters and on Saturday he finished 17th with a toss of 15.15 meters in the shot put.