WAVERLY, Iowa—The Nebraska Wesleyan men's and women's track and field teams turned heads at the Wartburg Last Chance Indoor Qualifier, showcasing standout performances that could pave the way for national championship berths. The meet featured a school record, personal bests, and several athletes climbing the program's all-time lists.
How It Happened
The spotlight was on Conner Ross, who made history in the men's 3,000 meters. Ross clocked a time of 8:31.02, which converts to 8:25.13 for track size adjustments, breaking a 32-year-old school record previously held by Gary Wassermann, a former cross-country national champion.
Raegan Levi had a breakout meet, delivering a career-best performance in the 200 meters. Her converted time of 25.33 (25.72 raw) moved her to sixth all-time in program history. Levi also advanced to the finals in the 60 meters, where she ran a personal best of 7.94 seconds, further solidifying her status as one of NWU's top sprinters.
In the field events, Emmilly Berglund continued to dominate the shot put, winning the event with a throw of 14.25 meters (46'9"). The mark ranks her fourth in the nation and fifth in school history, making her a likely candidate for the national championships.
The hurdles crew also made a statement, with Noah Smith, Trystin Myers, and Jacob Young all advancing to the finals of the men's 60-meter hurdles. Smith led the group with an 8.17-second finish, showcasing the depth of NWU's sprint hurdles program. On the women's side, Keeley Hourigan advanced to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 9.11 seconds.
Natalie Cummins continued to impress in the sprints, improving her fourth-place mark in school history in the 60 meters with a time of 7.78 seconds in the prelims. Cummins also competed in the long jump, finishing fourth with a leap of 4.93 meters (16'2.25").
In the field events, Colin Wojtkiewicz placed fourth in the men's shot put with a throw of 15.58 meters (51'1.50"), while Eric Lenz finished fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 18.07 meters (59'3.50").
The men's 4x400-meter relay team of Morgan Conner, McClain Meyer, Jackson Feauto, and Connor Plahn closed out the meet with a strong performance, finishing in 3:25.40.
What's Next
The NCAA will announce official qualifiers for the Division III Indoor Championships on Sunday, March 9. The championships are set for March 14-15 in Rochester, New York. Nebraska Wesleyan athletes are in strong contention to represent the Prairie Wolves on the national stage.
