Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State men's track & field team won its 17th NSIC championship today in Myers Field House in the NSIC Indoor Championships. This is the 11th consecutive NSIC championship for the Mavericks. The Mavericks racked up 200.16 points on their way to the championship.
Nick Durnin finished third in heptathlon with a score of 4.928 earning All-NSIC honors in the process. Durnin took home the top spot in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.26. Durnin followed up his performance in the 60m hurdles with an eighth-place finish in the pole vault. In the final event of the heptathlon, Durnin finished 13th in the 1000m run.
The mile run saw Minnesota States Tanner Maier earn a third-place finish with a time of 4:12.53. With this performance Maier garners All-NSIC honors.
Senior Kornelius Klah claimed victory in the 60m hurdles breaking his previous NCAA provisional mark of 7.96 with a time of 7.92. This currently places Klah fifth in the nation. Klah also earns All-NSIC honors for his conference championship performance. This is the seventh time the Mavericks have won the conference title in this event. Klah has won the event now two years in a row.
Klah followed up his 60m hurdle victory with another one in the 400m dash. Klah won the event with a time 48.45. With the win Klah earns another conference championship and All-NSIC honors. This is the 13th time Minnesota State has won the conference title in the event. For Klah, this is his second consecutive time winning the NSIC title. The Mavericks also had sophomore Carter Nesvold finish third in the event with a time of 49.16 earning himself All-NSIC honors for his efforts.
In the 600m run, Minnesota States Ben Schmied earned a NSIC championship in the 600m run as well as All-NSIC honors for his victory. Schmied topped the event with a time of 1:21.11.
The 60m dash saw four Mavericks finish in the top five. Senior Shaheed Hickman topped the charts with time of 6.74 breaking his previous NCAA provisional mark of 6.72 from Jan. 28. Hickman is crowned the NSIC champion and earned All-NSIC honors for his performance today. With Hickman's victory he becomes the seventh Maverick to win a conference championship in this event. Also, this is the third consecutive title for the Mavericks. Caleb Kath finished third in the event with a time of 6.92 earning All-NSIC honors.
Onyi Ukaobasi finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 47' 8'' (14.53m) earning himself All-NSIC honors.
In the shot put, Steven Orzolek won the conference title and earned All-NSIC recognition with a NCAA provisional mark of 58' 1.75'' (17.72m) that has him currently first in the nation. With this performance Orzolek becomes the 13th Mavericks to earn a conference championship for the Mavericks. Bedale Naba finished fourth in the event with a throw of 53' 7.75'' (16.35m)
The 4x400 relay team for the Mavericks that consisted of Kenry Atubel, Kornelius Klah, Max DePrenger and Carter Nesvold took home the conference championship and earning All-NSIC honors with a provisional time of 3:18.67. This is the 14th time and second consecutive that the Mavericks have won the NSIC title.
For the Mavericks that qualify for nationals, they will head to Pittsburgh, Kan., to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday Mar. 11 – Saturday Mar. 12.
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