SPEARFISH, S.D. -- February 28, 2021 -- The Chadron State College men's track and field team scored 72.5 points while finishing fourth among the 11 teams at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Indoor Championships at Black Hills State in Spearfish over the weekend.

That's eight more points and one place higher than the Eagles' finished a year ago.

"We did all right. I am pleased," said CSC Coach Riley Northrup.  "We left some points at home because of injuries and illness, but everything went well here.  We're a young team that's getting better.  We're on the right track."

As anticipated, nearly all the Eagles' points came in the sprints and jumps.  They didn't win an event, but earned four silver and three bronze medals.

The busiest team member was freshman Morgan Fawver of McCook, who finished second in the 60 meters in 6.80 seconds, third in the 200 in 21.96 and fifth in the long jump at 23-1 ¾. Both of his times in the sprints were career bests and his long jump matched the best so far of his budding career.

Fawver's 60 time is a provisional qualifier for the national championships. 

Sophomore Osvaldo Cano of Oshkosh continued to blossom. He was the runner-up in the 400 meters in 49.54 seconds, his career-best, and also led off the Eagles' 4x400 relay team that placed third in 3:25.38.  His teammates were his twin, Osiel, Harley Rhoades of Douglas, Wyo., and Greg Logsdon of Yoder, Wyo.

For the second day in a row, the Eagles had three placewinners in a jump Sunday.

It was the triple jump, where Derrick Nwagwu of Aurora, Colo., was the runner-up by going 48 feet, 4 inches, Naishaun Jernigan of Springfield, Mass., was fourth at 47-11 ½ and Joss Linse of Plattsmouth, Neb., was eighth at 46-4 ½.

Both Nwagwu's and Jernigan's marks are provisional national qualifiers.  Jernigan also was the runner-up in the long jump Friday with another provisional qualifying mark of 24-5 ½. As of late Sunday, it ranked sixth in NCAA Division II.  

Emory Yoosook of Casper also placed fourth to go with Fawver's fifth in the long jump.

Other CSC men who earned points were Alec Penfield of Lusk, Wyo., tied for fifth in the high jump, and Pete Brown of Oxford, Neb., and Dylan Soule of Polk, Neb., who were third and fifth in the heptathlon.

The CSC women added three points to their team total Sunday, when Kaylee Wach of Ogallala was seventh in the pole vault and Julianne Thomsen of Custer, S.D., was eighth in the high hurdles.  Thomsen also was eighth in the pentathlon and teammate Hannah Christy of Alpine, Wyo., was seventh. 

The Eagles women, who scored 12.5 points, had two placewinners in both the shot put and high jump Friday.  Morgan Ekwall of Yoder, Wyo., was seventh and sophomore Becca Monahan of Cheyenne was eighth in the shot and Miranda Gilkey of Lusk and Destiny Pelton of Fort Morgan, Colo., were sixth and tied for eighth, respectively, in the high jump.

Men's Results
                60 meters--2, Morgan Fawver, 6.80.
                200 meters--3, Morgan Fawver, 21.96.
                400 meters--2, Osvaldo Cano, 49.54.
                4x400 relay--3, Chadron State (Osvaldo Cano, Osiel Cano, Harley Rhoades, Greg Logsdon) 3:25.38.
                Long jump--2, Naishaun Jernigan, 24-3; 4, Emory Yoosook, 23-2 ¾; 5, Morgan Fawver, 23-1 ¾.
                Triple jump--2, Derrick Nwagwu, 48-4; 4, Naishaun Jernigan, 47-11 ¼; 8, Joss Linse, 46-4 ½.
                High jump--5-6 tie, Alec Penfield, 6-4 ¾;
                Heptathlon--3, Pete Brown, 4,464 points; 5, Dylan Soule, 3,907.
Women's Results
                60-meter hurdles--8, Julieanne Thomsen, 9.66.
                Shot put--7, Morgan Ekwall, 39-3 ¼; 8, Becca Monahan, 39-2 ½.
                High jump--6, Miranda Gilkey, 5-½; 8 tie, Destiny Pelton, 5-½.
                Pole vault--7, Kaylee Wach, 10-2 ½.
                Pentathlon--7, Hannah Christie, 3,089 points; 8, Julieanne Thomsen, 3,050.