KEARNEY, Neb. – The Fort Hays State track and field team kicked off the outdoor season in spectacular fashion, setting a pair of school records and earning national rankings at the Central Nebraska Challenge.

Emma Slade wasted no time making history, launching the discus 160-2.00 to break the Fort Hays State school record and claim the top spot in DII currently. Jessica Saunders also made her mark in the discus, placing 9th with a throw of 150-11.00, securing a top-10 national ranking and reinforcing Fort Hays State's strength in the throws.

Annabeth Baalmann made an emphatic outdoor debut, clearing 13-7.50 to take first place and move to second in the nation in the pole vault. Her mark puts her in early contention for a spot in nationals. Brady Deges delivered an NCAA provisional mark as well, soaring 16-6.75 to take the men's pole vault title.

Hayden Albright led the Tigers on the track, winning both the 100m (10.31) and 200m (20.78) with dominant performances. Avrey Albright, also placed in the top five in both events. The 4x100m relay team of Eddie McVay, Kenny Fritsch, Hayden Albright, and Toby Wahlmeier blazed to a 40.23-second finish, earning first place and hitting an NCAA provisional mark.

Liberty Booker and Slade impressed in the hammer throw, finishing fourth and fifth. In javelin, Samuel Molt placed fourth on the men's side with a throw of 171-9.00, while Patrisha Doll finished sixth in the women's competition at 126-7.00.

With the season off to a record-breaking start, the Tigers will look to build on this momentum at the Midwest Classic in Emporia, Kan. next Friday (April 4).
 
Full FHSU Results
Men's
100m
1st – Hayden Albright – 10.31
3rd – Avrey Albright – 10.40
4th – Eddie McVay – 10.40
5th – Toby Wahlmeier – 10.40
7th – Nakari Morrical-Palmer – 10.43
10th – Omari Smith – 10.49
23rd – Dylan Velasco – 10.93
28th – Dean Clark – 11.02
39th – Ervin Fierro – 11.47
43rd – Kade Harris – 11.60
 
100mH
15th – Drew Tolar – 15.61
 
200m
1st – Hayden Albright – 20.78
3rd – Nakari Morrical-Palmer – 20.85
4th – Toby Wahlmeier – 20.96
5th – Avrey Albright – 21.19
6th – Drew Tolar – 21.24
18th – Dylan Velasco – 22.56
 
400m
5th – Drew Tolar – 50.19
11th – Brody Burns – 51.28
20th – Cole Darling – 53.32
 
800m
22nd – Emery Wolfe – 2:02.17
 
1500m
2nd – Christian Darrah – 4:02.24
7th – Ethan Fisher – 4:11.40
15th – Kaiden Esfeld – 4:15.97
24th – Andrew Waller – 4:18.09
33rd – Ty Raulston – 4:23.02
42nd – Ethan Emmons – 4:33.69
43rd – Hunter Metzger – 4:33.77
 
4 x 100m Relay
1st – Eddie McVay, Kenny Fritsch, Hayden Albright, Toby Wahlmeier – 40.23 #
3rd – Omari Smith, Avrey Albright, Dylan Velasco, Nakari Morrical-Palmer – 41.40
 
4 x 400m Relay
2nd – Nakari Morrical-Palmer, Brody Burns, Emery Wolfe, Cole Darling – 3:26.97
 
Pole Vault
1st –  Brady Deges – 16-6.75 #
3rd – Mason Younger – 15-7.00
6th – Rylan White – 14-7.25
8th – Kurtis McCormick – 14-1.25
17th – Trevor Christensen – 13-1.50
 
Long Jump
6th – Dean Clark – 22-8.75
19th – Ervin Fierro – 21-0.25
32nd – Kade Harris – 19-2.75
 
Javelin
4th – Samuel Molt – 171-9.00
 
Women's
100m
20th – Jayme Hagerman – 12.67
 
100mH
14th – Elysia Kunkler – 16.62
23rd – Kylin Rudzik – 18.32
 
200m
15th – Amelia Foster – 25.98
 
400m
6th – Amelia Foster – 1:00.86
 
800m
11th – Kyra Nippert – 2:35.08
 
1500m
11th – Madison Sutterfield – 5:05.58
12th – Emma Weiner – 5:05.90
14th – Ashlyn Harbaugh – 5:06.92
17th – Abbye Hudson – 5:09.70
19th – Alayna Cossaart – 5:10.79
23rd – Keziah Bachman – 5:19.28
27th – Arely Maldonado – 5:24.29
 
Pole Vault
1st – Annabeth Baalmann – 13-7.50 # &
8th – Piper Robinson – 11-3.75
12th – Liz Moore – 10-4.00
 
Long Jump
9th – Jayme Hagerman – 17-7.75
15th – Elysia Kunkler – 16-6.75
16th – Abby Rueschhoff – 16-6.75
19th – Brynlee Frank – 16-2.50
 
Triple Jump
7th – Abby Rueschhoff – 35-11.50
9th – Brynlee Frank – 35-3.25
 
Discus
4th – Emma Slade – 160-2.00 # &
9th – Jessica Saunders – 150-11.00 #
20th – Kieran Burke – 132-5.00
 
Hammer
4th – Liberty Booker – 165-9.00
5th – Emma Slade – 165-2.00
19th – Kieran Burke – 139-3.00
 
Javelin
6th – Patrisha Doll – 126-7.00
22nd – Kylin Rudzik – 89-6.00
 
Shot Put
11th – Liberty Booker – 40-3.50
23rd – Emma Slade – 36-9.25
34th – Kylin Rudzik – 31-10.75
 
# - indicates provisional mark
& - indicated school record