FHSU’s Wolf 6th in women’s javelin; Tien 10th in pole vault at DII national meet

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State’s Madison Wolf concluded a great freshman campaign on Saturday at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Allendale, Mich. with a sixth-place finish in the women’s javelin. With that finish, she earned All-America honors for the 2014 season.

Wolf’s best effort came on her second throw of the competition, a throw of 153′ 7″. At that point in time, she was in second place behind Mary Riley of Central Missouri. She held that position through three attempts for all athletes, but the fourth attempt for three competitors pushed her back to fifth in the standings and then to sixth following the final attempts.

Sophomore teammates from Western Washington, Bethany Drake and Katie Reichert, finished first and second separated by just one inch. Drake threw 165′ 3″ and Reichert threw 165′ 2″. Riley of Central Missouri was third at 163′. The top four competitors all threw at least 160′.

Wolf adds the All-America honor after winning the MIAA Championship, topping Riley a few weeks back for the conference crown.

Wolf was one of two FHSU women to compete at the NCAA Championships. Samantha Woodburn had a pair of 14th-place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter prelims, Thursday and Friday. She was unable to qualify for the finals on Sunday.

Tien 10th in pole vault

Fort Hays State junior Brady Tien was the only member of the men’s track and field team to compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Allendale, Mich. on Saturday. Tien finished 10th in the pole vault, tying the fifth-best height cleared but was 10th due to the amount of attempts needed to clear the height.

Tien stayed alive among the top 10 performers in the event by clearing his personal best height of 16′ 8.75″ on his third and final attempt at the height. He attempted to clear 17′ 0.75″, but was unsuccessful on three tries. Due to the ninth-place finisher clearing the first height in just one attempt and Tien taking two attempts, Tien slipped to 10th. The eighth-place finisher cleared 16′ 8.75″ on his second attempt and a pair that tied for sixth cleared it on their first attempt before all missing at the next height.

Jeff Pipenbrink of Pittsburg State won the national title in the event with a height of 17′ 4.5″.