Women place sixth overall at national championship

The women’s track and field team placed sixth overall at the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor National Championship with Adams State coming in first, followed by Grand Valley State University.  

For the second year in a row, the men’s title was won by one point. Ashland came in first with 38 points, followed by Adams State with 37 points.  

Sophomore Haven Lander won the women’s pole vault and captured the national championship. Freshman Trace Mosby finished as the national runner-up in the women’s pentathlon with 3,906 points. 

Head coach Russ Jewett was proud of the men and women from Pitt State that qualified for and competed at nationals.  

“…Considering the guys and gals that qualified I was pretty pleased,” Jewett said. “Kai Miller had an outstanding competition. (He) threw a school record in the pole vault (and) tied for second place. That is a very high bar to be jumping and not winning so he competed his very best and… (I) was really proud of him. Levi had a great meet as well. On the women’s side, we were sixth place as a team. Sixth place as a team is like the basketball team making the elite eight (and) I think that is a pretty big deal. Obviously, we wanted to get up on that podium and get a trophy. That would have been miracle stuff or would have been close to it would have been perfection I guess. (But I was) awfully proud of Trace Mosby (who was) within a whisker of winning a national title but she was second place as a redshirt freshman in her first national championship. (She is) always beyond her years without question. Then (we) had a pretty darn good pole vault there. Haven Lander winning the national championship as a sophomore. Renee Rhodes jumping her lifetime best and scoring a point for the team. That was just really cool stuff.”  

According to Jewett, the women’s team did very well.  

“I think our women’s team particularly, even thought we were sort of a small contingent, did a great job competition as a team,” Jewett said. “Anytime you have more than one person at an event, I think that helps too. So, we had two pole vaulters, we had two throwers. Our ladies in the shot did really…well Bri especially. (She) threw right at her lifetime best and scored for the team so that was remarkable. Jena I would say the same thing was within a whisker of her PR I think. It was a very tough shot for the competition this year so really proud of both of those ladies as well. So, they competed well as a team even though it was a small contingent.”  

The next meet scheduled is the ESU Early Meet Saturday, March 23 in Emporia.  

“It is our opener and it is going to be kind of a lowkey meet for us,” Jewett said. “A competition is a competition and we will want to compete hard but (it is) the first outdoor meet. We are excited as heck to get to throw the javelin and the discus and get to run the 4×100 and those events that are only outdoor track and field events that we do not get to compete in the indoor season. (We are) really excited about that and just seeing where we stand and getting a starting point for the outdoor season.”