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Sprints
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Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Frank Makes U23 World Team, Gophers Compete at National Championships
7/9/2023 10:01:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota saw a pair of its greatest throwers in program history make a U23 World Team as well as claim a Jamaican National Championship. Shelby Frank earned her career Team USA spot with her discus performance at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., while Nayoka Clunis (2017-20) claimed her fourth Jamaican National title in the women's hammer.
Frank, who redshirted this past outdoor season, tossed her best mark of 56.68m (185-7) on her first attempt of the competition on Sunday at Hayward Field to finish fifth overall in the competition. At just 21 years old Frank was the youngest athlete the make the US women's discus final and will be the No. 1 representative for the United States at the NACAC U23 Championships in Costa Rica from July 21-23 in Costa Rica.
In Kingston, Jamaica, it was Clunis who claimed her fourth national championship in the hammer throw with a throw of 70.17m. Clunis, who was a two-time All-American for the Maroon and Gold, was the only competitor in the event but came up just shy of the World Championships standard of 73.60m.
Additionally, the 'U' saw three different steeplechase athletes compete on Saturday at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Matthew Wilkinson dawned the Maroon and Gold uniform one last time and finished with a lifetime best time of 8:23.69 to finish sixth overall. Former Golden Gopher Alec Basten (2017-22) finished 11th overall in a time of 8:31.83 after leading for a portion of the latter half of the race. On the women's side two-time Big Ten champion Madeline Strandemo (2014-18) made her first career steeplechase final and finished 13th overall in a time of 9:51.09.
Other notable performances throughout the weekend around the world included Kostas Zaltos earning a bronze medal in the men's hammer throw (72.26m) at the Greece Senior Championships while signee Angelos Mantzouranis finished fourth with a lifetime best of 70.71m. Sean Donnelly finished ninth overall in the USATF Outdoor Championships in the men's hammer with a mark of 71.63m. Bethany Hasz also made her USATF Outdoor Championship debut in the 5000m and finished 21st overall in a time of 16:20.76.
At the end of July Minnesota will also see its Trinidad & Tobago student-athletes compete at their nation's national championships. The event begins on July 28 and concludes on July 30 with Carlon Hosten, Devin Augustine and Kion Benjamin all competing in various sprint events.
For more information on the Gophers around the world, continue to check back with GopherSports.com all month long. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the summer.
Frank, who redshirted this past outdoor season, tossed her best mark of 56.68m (185-7) on her first attempt of the competition on Sunday at Hayward Field to finish fifth overall in the competition. At just 21 years old Frank was the youngest athlete the make the US women's discus final and will be the No. 1 representative for the United States at the NACAC U23 Championships in Costa Rica from July 21-23 in Costa Rica.
In Kingston, Jamaica, it was Clunis who claimed her fourth national championship in the hammer throw with a throw of 70.17m. Clunis, who was a two-time All-American for the Maroon and Gold, was the only competitor in the event but came up just shy of the World Championships standard of 73.60m.
Additionally, the 'U' saw three different steeplechase athletes compete on Saturday at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Matthew Wilkinson dawned the Maroon and Gold uniform one last time and finished with a lifetime best time of 8:23.69 to finish sixth overall. Former Golden Gopher Alec Basten (2017-22) finished 11th overall in a time of 8:31.83 after leading for a portion of the latter half of the race. On the women's side two-time Big Ten champion Madeline Strandemo (2014-18) made her first career steeplechase final and finished 13th overall in a time of 9:51.09.
Other notable performances throughout the weekend around the world included Kostas Zaltos earning a bronze medal in the men's hammer throw (72.26m) at the Greece Senior Championships while signee Angelos Mantzouranis finished fourth with a lifetime best of 70.71m. Sean Donnelly finished ninth overall in the USATF Outdoor Championships in the men's hammer with a mark of 71.63m. Bethany Hasz also made her USATF Outdoor Championship debut in the 5000m and finished 21st overall in a time of 16:20.76.
At the end of July Minnesota will also see its Trinidad & Tobago student-athletes compete at their nation's national championships. The event begins on July 28 and concludes on July 30 with Carlon Hosten, Devin Augustine and Kion Benjamin all competing in various sprint events.
For more information on the Gophers around the world, continue to check back with GopherSports.com all month long. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the summer.
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