University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
NCAA Indoor Championships
Long Wins NCAA Weight Throw Title
3/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Kaitlyn Long won the weight throw to become the second national champion in University of Minnesota women's track & field history on day two of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday.
Long recorded a winning mark of 23.30m (76-05.50) on her sixth and final throw to take the lead after being in fifth place through three rounds of the competition. Long joins Minnesota alumnae Heather Dorniden, the 2006 indoor 800-meter champion, to make up the program's two national champions.
A two-time NCAA Division II national champion, Long fouled her first two attempts and moved into fifth place with a throw of 22.15m (72-08.00) on her third throw, securing a place in the event final. She then threw 21.57m (70-09.25) and 21.82m (71-07.25) on her fourth and fifth throws, remaining in fifth place, before moving into the lead on her final attempt. Along with her distinction as national champion, Long is now a First Team All-American as well.
Minnesota tied for 14th in the team standings at the NCAA Championship behind 14 points with two scoring finishes. Along with 10 points from Long's NCAA title, Kiley Sabin picked up four points in the team race with a fifth-place finish in the shot put on day one of the meet.
Agnes Esser earned her second Second Team All-America award of her career with an 11th-place finish in the weight throw. Esser threw 20.89m (68-06.50) on her second attempt to move into ninth place and slipped into 11th in the third round. Meanwhile, Nayoka Clunis also made her NCAA Division I national championship debut with a 16th-place showing in the weight throw (19.71m, 64-08.00) and Second Team All-America honors as well.
Karlie Place rounded out Minnesota's NCAA qualifiers with a 12th-place finish in pole vault. Place cleared 4.21m (13-09.75) to take 12th and earn Second Team All-America honors in her NCAA Championship debut.
Sabin and Ayesha Champagnie competed on day one of the NCAA Championship. Sabin earned First Team All-America honors in the shot put with a season-best throw of 17.16m (56-03.75) for fifth place. Champagnie did not record a mark in the long jump.
###
Players Mentioned
