BROOKINGS, S.D. – Chadron State College junior Ryan Clapper ran a career-best time of 21.76 seconds while placing third in the 200 meters during the first day of the SDSU Indoor Classic on Friday.

Clapper, who hails from Yoder, Wyoming, had previously run the 200 in 21.87 and 21.86 seconds this season. Another CSC standout, senior Esosa Iyengunmwena, was fifth in the same race Friday in 22.14 seconds. They were among eight elite sprinters invited to compete in the race.
  
Entries from St. Thomas College in Minnesota took the first two places.  Johnny Bezdick was first in 21.54 seconds and Jayson Koel was second in 21.69.  

Clapper's time of 21.76 seconds ties for second on Chadron State's indoor 200 meters list. He now shares it with Joel Duffield, a native of Morrill, Nebraska who posted that time at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships in Boston in 2006. Duffield's time was the CSC record and stood until Brodie Roden ran the event in 21.59 seconds while winning it at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Championships in 2020.  

Besides the invitational 200 that Clapper and Iyengumnwena ran Friday, there was a 200-meter open race that drew 36 contestants. Chadron State sophomore Christopher Cormier of Sparks, Nevada, placed fifth in it in 22.23 seconds, just .02 of a second from his season-best. 

A full slate of both track and field events, including more 200 races, are scheduled for Saturday at the meet in Brookings.