YANKTON, S.D. — Fifteen track and field athletes either competing or born in Montana snagged All-American honors at the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field meet in Yankton, S.D., as the meet came to close on Saturday.
Carroll College led the way with five All-American honors topped none other by Nikki Krueger's 14.12-meter (46 feet, 4 inch) shot put throw to take home a national title.
Sydney Little Light from Crow Agency nearly snagged another national title for Montana with a second-place finish in the 1-mile run with a time of 5:00.57 for Rocky Mountain College. Cleet Wrzesinski from Baker also took second place in the men's heptathlon with 5,079 points for the Dickinson State Blue Hawks.
Kelsey Basset took bronze in the pole vault for the Fighting Saints with a vault of 3.83 meters (12 feet 6-3/4 inches), Reghan Worley finished seventh in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:13.89, and the Carroll women's distance medley team of Elly Machado, Kate Picanco, Kendyl Pierson and Natalie Yocum took home honors with an eighth-place finish of 12:51.77.
Lee Walburn was the lone male All-American for Carroll with a fourth-place finish of 4,951 points in the men's heptathlon.
Kendra Dykstra Munsterman was the other Rocky Mountain track athlete to take home All-American honors with a third-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.09
Payton Durocher from Choteau earned All-American honors for the College of Idaho by taking third place in the 4x800-meter relay, alongside teammates Abbey Shirts, Ellyse Tingelstad and Roby Young.
Allexander Kosel from Roberts was named an All-American in the long jump with an eighth-place jump of 6.86 meters (22 feet 6-1/4 inches), and narrowly missed a second honor finishing ninth in the triple jump.
Montana Tech freshman Becca Richtman finished sixth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:09.39 to earn an All-American nod.
List of Montana NAIA Track and Field All-Americans:
Carroll College
Men
Lee Walburn, heptathlon (4th place, 4951 points)
Women
Kelsey Bassett, pole vault (3rd place, 3.83 meters /12 feet 6-3/4 inches)
Nikki Krueger, shot put (1st place, 14.12 meters /46 feet 4 inches)
Reghan Worley, 3,000-meter run (7th place, 10:13.89)
Distance medley (Elly Machado, Kate Picanco, Kendyl Pierson, Natalie Yocum) (8th place, 12:51.77)
College of Idaho
Women
4x800-meter relay (Abbey Shirts, Payton Durocher, Ellyse Tingelstad, Roby Young) (3rd place, 9:26.64)
Dickinson State
Men
Cleet Wrzesinski, heptathlon (2nd place, 5079 points)
Eastern Oregon
Men
Allexander Kosel, long jump (8th place, 6.86 meters /22 feet 6-1/4 inches)
Montana Tech
Women
Becca Richtman, 3,000-meter run (6th place, 10:09.39)
Rocky Mountain College
Women
Kendra Dykstra Munsterman, 800-meter run (3rd place, 2:15.09)
Sydney Little Light, 1-mile run (2nd place, 5:00.57)
