BROOKINGS, S.D. –  Senior Christopher Jennings was the leader for the Chadron State College track and field teams Saturday, winning the 35-pound weight throw at the South Dakota State Indoor Classic in Brookings this past weekend.

Jennings was the only event winner for CSC at the large-scale meet that featured approximately 1,200 athletes from nearly 30 schools competing. There were more than 100 entries in several of the track events.

A pre-med major from O'Neill, Jennings won with a personal best of 19.27 meters, or 63-feet, 2 ¾ inches. Besides winning the 34-entry event by 2 ½ feet, he moved up seven notches to No. 13 on the NCAA Division II national list.

"This was a really big day for Christopher," CSC Coach Jake Gruver said.  "He won the event and he's continuing to improve. That's all we can ask."

Jennings now is second on Chadron State's weight throw chart to only Dan Reynolds. who in 2023 set the school record of 67-3 ½ and placed fifth at the National Championships to gain All-American honors. A year ago, Jennings was second in the weight throw at the SDSU Classic at 59-7 ½, then his career best.  But two weeks later he threw 61-2 ¼ and was the runner-up at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Meet, which was still his personal best until Saturday. 

Jennings wasn't the only CSC athlete in the top 10 of the throwing events. Another senior thrower, Parker Gonser, also is making progress in the weight throw and finished third with a career-best of 58-3 at the SDSU Meet Saturday after placing seventh with a mark of 55-7 a year ago. He also was sixth in the shot put at Brookings on Saturday at 50-6, although he has gone over 51 feet previously this season. 

Two more 400-meter runners, Ryan Clapper and Kaden Perez, cracked the 50-second barrier Saturday with times of 49.44 and 49.53, respectively. The other two CSC runners to go sub-50 this season, Christopher Cormier and Nicquaine Henry, are nursing injuries that kept them from competing Saturday.

Clapper also placed seventh in a 200-meter race for elite runners on Friday in 22 seconds flat while Esosa Iyengunmwena was fifth in another 200 session Saturday and also finished seventh in the 60 meters that required him to place high in two preliminary races in order to qualify for the finals.

Senior Creighton Trembly was sixth in the 60-yard hurdles, which drew 42 contestants including several from Division I programs, despite not running a season's best. 

Highlights for the Chadron State women included two career-bests by senior Alissa Wieman. She lowered her time in the mile by nine seconds to 5:08.83 and ran the 3000 in 10:24.67, four seconds faster than previously. 

In addition, freshman Camila Salvucci placed fifth in the triple jump by going 37 feet, ½ inches and sophomore Ashlyn Tapio had career-best marks in both the shot put (37-2 ½) and 20-pound weight throw (45-10 ½). 
 
CSC's sophomore standout jumper Chayton Bynes did not make the trip. Already in Division II's top 10 in both the long jump and triple jump, Bynes is resting up for the conference and national meets.

Chadron State track and field is set to host the Golden Eagle Last Chance Meet this coming Saturday, February 22, giving athletes who have not qualified for conference meets a final chance to do that. The RMAC Championships will be in Colorado Springs a week later on February 28-March 1. The NCAA Indoor Championships, which will host the athletes with the best 18 marks in each of the individual events, is set for March 13-15 in Indianapolis.

CSC's top-10 placings follow: 
Men's Results
        60 meters – 7, Esosa Iyengunmwena, 6.98
        60 hurdles – 6, Creighton Trembly, 8.28
        200 meters – 7, Ryan Clapper, 22.00
        Shot put – 6, Parker Gonser, 50-6
        Weight throw – 1, Christopher Jennings, 63-2 ¾; 3, Parker Gonser, 58-3
 
Women's Results
        800 meters – 11, Ivy Hise, 2:41.73
        Triple jump – 5, Camila Salvucci, 37-0.5
        Weight throw – 9, Ashlyn Tapio, 45-10.5