BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Nebraska Wesleyan wrapped up competition at the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships with three All-American honors as the Prairie Wolves competed across two days at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Seven Prairie Wolves represented Nebraska Wesleyan on the national stage March 13-14, as juniors Chloe Mooberry and Emmilly Berglund earned Second Team All-American honors while sophomore Sam Clements secured First Team All-American status in the men's shot put. Clements also accounted for Nebraska Wesleyan's lone team points of the meet with a sixth-place finish.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Competition opened Friday with junior Rachel Smith and Eli Etherton in the preliminary rounds of the 60-meter hurdles.
Smith, making her first NCAA Championship appearance after entering the field as a late replacement, competed in the opening heat of the women's 60-meter hurdles preliminaries. In a race loaded with experienced national competitors, Smith suffered a slight stumble early that disrupted her rhythm and finished 20th overall in the national field.
Etherton followed in the second heat of the men's preliminaries, facing a field that included the nation's top entered time. Etherton burst out of the blocks and led the pack through the first four hurdles before two runners narrowly edged him at the line. His time of 8.04 seconds placed him third in the heat and advanced him to Saturday's championship final.
Just hours later, junior Reed Emsick took the track in the second heat of the men's 800 meters. The transfer from the University of Nebraska-Kearney ran aggressively near the front of the pack before contact from another runner entering the final turn disrupted his stride and prevented a late kick toward the finish. Emsick finished fifth in the heat with a time of 1:55.15. Nebraska Wesleyan went through the appeals process following the race, but the result stood, leaving Emsick 17th overall and one spot shy of All-American recognition.
In the field events Friday, Mooberry competed in the women's long jump in her first NCAA Championship appearance. The junior recorded marks on all three attempts, posting identical leaps of 5.39 meters on her first two jumps before closing with a 5.36-meter effort. Mooberry finished 16th overall, securing Second Team All-American honors.
Junior Kaelyn Means also competed Friday in the women's weight throw. Means improved with each of her three attempts, opening with a throw of 14.22 meters before reaching 15.77 meters on her second attempt. She closed with her best mark of the day at 16.10 meters, finishing ninth in her flight and 18th overall.
Three Prairie Wolves returned to competition Saturday.
Etherton opened the day in the men's 60-meter hurdles final on the same track where he captured the 2023 national championship. Running out of lane one, Etherton again exploded from the blocks and battled stride-for-stride with the leaders through four hurdles. He surged late and crossed the finish line first with a personal-best time of 7.85 seconds.
Following the race, officials ruled Etherton stepped on the lane line prior to the finish and made contact with another runner as he fell across the line. The infraction resulted in a disqualification, removing him from the final standings.
Clements followed in the men's shot put and delivered Nebraska Wesleyan's top finish of the weekend. After scratching his opening throw, the sophomore recorded a mark of 17.27 meters on his second attempt to move into the finals. Clements matched the distance on his first throw of the final round before fouling his final two attempts.
His mark held for sixth place, earning First Team All-American honors and three team points for Nebraska Wesleyan.
The finish capped a strong indoor campaign for Clements, who posted a personal-best mark of 17.69 meters earlier this season. The throw ranks second all-time in program history, and Clements also captured the American Rivers Conference indoor title this winter.
Berglund closed the championships for the Prairie Wolves in the women's shot put. The junior opened with a throw of 13.19 meters, scratched her second attempt and finished with a 12.61-meter mark on her final throw. Berglund placed eighth in her flight and 12th overall, earning Second Team All-American honors for the second consecutive indoor national championship.
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan will now turn its attention to the outdoor season, which begins March 20 at the USM Distance Festival hosted by the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
