Senior Sara Wells tops her NCAA automatic qualifying mark and sets two new school records Saturday in the discus and shot put to lead the WSC woman’s track and field team at the Concordia Invitational held in Seward, Nebraska.

Wells continues to break her school records and improve on her automatic qualifying marks week after week.

She holds the NCAA Division II leading throw in the shot put with a mark of 53’ 4 ½”, which is over one foot better than her old school record of 52’ 1 ¾” set last Saturday.

Wells also won the discus with another new school record mark by over 4 feet of 169’ 5”.

“Sara has been consistently throwing well for this time of the season, her training is still pretty intense and volume is still high,” coach Brett Suckstorf said. “I’m really excited to see what the rest of the season brings when we start gearing up for the championship meets.”

Wells took seventh in the hammer throw (174’6”).

“I’ve been very happy with every week of competition. Coach Suckstorf always tells us to trust our training, and it has definitely paid off,” Wells said.

Michaela Dendiger with the throw of 45’5 ¾”, came in fifth in the shot put, and also captured ninth in the hammer throw (171’ 0”).

Freshman Shandan Platt picked up a sixth place finish in the hammer throw (177’ 5”).

Other top finishers included Ellen Wulf, who also helped lead the ‘Cats with a third place finish in the long jump (17’ 6 ¾”).

Mary Alderson took fifth in the 200 meter dash (26.33), while Megan Svitak was fifth in the 100 meter hurdles (15.00) and eighth in the long jump with the landing of 16’ 7”. Rebecca Davenport placed ninth in the 400 meter hurdles (1:09.30).

Redshirt freshman Braxton Adams led the WSC men’s team finishing first in the 100 meter dash at the Concordia Invitational.

Adams had a strong finish in the 100 meter dash with the time of 10.73 seconds.
“I was pretty pleased with my time after coming off a weekend of rest and not doing much running. I need to stay healthy keep training hard so my times will continue to drop,” Adams said.

Senior Jared Balady also helped lead the Wildcat men taking home a second place finish in the 400 meter hurdles in 55.83 seconds.

Bryan Dunn and Derek Lahm both took third place in their event over the weekend. Dunn in the hammer throw (182’ 0”), and Lahm in the long jump (23’ 7 ¼”). Lahm also placed sixth in the hammer throw with the toss of 159’4”.

Nick Schmit captured fourth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:06.27), while Josh Spenner finished fifth in the javelin throw (162’ 5”).

Freshman Brady Metz had a personal best on the weekend while taking sixth in the triple jump (45’ 9 ¾”), Nate Lechtenberg collected sixth in the 110 meter high hurdles (15.52); Steven Varela ended eighth in the 400 meter hurdles with the time of 58.14, and William Ernst ninth in the 200 meter dash (22.43).

The 4 x100 meter relay team, who were competing for only the second time together, came in second with the time of 42.03 seconds (Spenner, Adams, Ernst and Lahm).

While the 4 x 400 meter relay of Thomsen, Balady, Schmit and Varela finished the day for the ‘Cats placing sixth (3:26.74).

Wayne State will compete next weekend at the Sioux City Relays on Friday and Saturday.