2021 NCAA DII Indoor T&F Championships – Day 2 Recap

The assault on the all-time performance list continued well into the second day of competition at the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Let’s see what unfolded.

Bailey Wins 5000, No. 2 Performer All-Time

Lauren Bailey took the race from the gun and didn’t look back.

The senior from UIndy captured the 5000 title in 16:03.98, shattering the previous meet record by nearly 2.5 seconds. Bailey also became the No. 2 performer all-time in NCAA Division II history.

Swoopes Dominant In Shot Put Victory

Zada Swoopes was unstoppable in the shot put.

Swoopes won the shot put competition on her third attempt of the day with a heave of 17.48m (57-4¼) to ultimately win the competition by more than five feet. Her throw moves her up to No. 3 all-time in NCAA DII history.

It was a steady progression for Swoopes through the opening round, as she threw 15.77m (51-9) in Round 1 and improved to 16.33m (53-5) in Round 2 before unleashing a monster throw on her third attempt of the day.

Freshmen Star in NCAA Debuts

Ushan Perera and Alexandra Hart both kicked off their NCAA debuts with national titles.

The freshman from Texas A&M-Commerce won the high jump with a top clearance of 2.26m (7-5) that came on his second attempt at the height. Perera moved into a tie for No. 4 on the divisional all-time best list with Oliver Harsanyi of Western Colorado.

He gave a valiant attempt at 2.30m (7-6½) – a bar that would have matched the NCAA DII record; however, was unsuccessful on his first try before passing on his last two.

On the women’s side, Alexandra Hart of Fort Hays State claimed the title with her best attempt coming at 1.83m (6-0). She is now in a three-way tie for No. 7 on the all-time performance list.

Williamson Came Back For More

One national title wasn’t enough for Cheyenne Williamson after a impressive outing in the pentathlon a day ago.

She was just as impressive in the long jump today.

Williamson won the long jump on her third attempt, soaring 6.35m (20-10) to claim her second national title of the weekend. Her mark moves her to No. 7 on the NCAA DII all-time list, just behind Fatim Affessi of West Texas A&M at 6.37m (20-10¾).

Noble Leads Top-8 Under 14 in 5000

The 5000 turned into a battle between Christian Noble and Isaac Harding.

Noble proved to be victorious.

With two laps to go, Harding picked up the pace and tried to pull away. Noble wasn’t going away that easily, as he clocked a 28.05 second final lap to move past Harding and win the 5000 in 13:47.45. His winning time set a new meet record and is the eighth best time on the NCAA DII all-time list.

What is more impressive is that the entire top-8 finished under 14 minutes.

Pittsburg State Pulls Upset In DMR

Even in the Distance Medley Relay, every second matters.

Pittsburg State’s quartet of Connor Southard, Graham Hudelson, Matt Wilson and Mason Strader edged Grand Valley State by 0.01 seconds to claim the DMR crown in 9:46.68. The Gorillas are now No. 8 on the all-time best list.

It was anyone’s race with a few laps to go in the final leg. It was neck and neck between Strader and Missouri Southern’s Ryan Riddle before Strader pulled away, while successfully holding off a late surge by Grand Valley State’s Caleb Futter.