SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A vastly improved effort by the University of Mary at the 2015 Northern Sun Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship was headlined by
Jay Cooper's winning form. The Marauders improved three spots in the standings from a year ago and four from the indoor championships less than three months ago.
The Marauders earned 50.5 points over the two day event. Minnesota State University scored 202.5 points to run away with the NSIC title. Augustana was second with 92 points.
Cooper lived up to his pre-meet billing in the 400 meter hurdles. Owning the top time in the event entering the weekend, the sophomore from Rapid City, S.D., claimed first when he cleared the barriers in a scintillating time of 52.62 seconds. An NCAA provisional qualifying time, it was .02 seconds off the conference record and his best effort of the year.
For Cooper, this is his first NSIC title. It is also the first Marauders outdoor title since 2010 when Ben Jacobson won the shot put and Tyler Zacher the triple jump.
In his final collegiate meet, Reginald
Jordan Washington blazed his way to a second place finish in the 400 meter dash. The senior from Katy, Texas, ran a season-best time of 48.38 to finish as runner-up. Based on his times entering the championships Washington was seeded fourth.
Ben Gailfus earned the first points of the day for Mary in the javelin. The junior opened the day with a personal record throw of 56.48 meters to place fourth. It is his best finish at the NSIC championships.
The Marauders claimed two places in the triple jump. A day after taking third in the long jump,
Aaron Teigen placed fifth in the triple jump. The senior from Rugby, N.D., cleared 14.48 meters on his best effort of the day. Right behind in sixth place was
William Kaigler. The junior from Tracy, Calif., recorded his best effort of the season with a distance of 14.37 meters.
Thomas Neale earned sixth place in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. In his best time of the season, the junior from Billings, Mont., ran over barriers and through water in a time of 9:33.55.
In his first NSIC meet, Cory Berner claimed seventh in the 200 meter dash. A freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., Berner recorded his top time of the year at 21.66 seconds.
Mary improved its points total by 18.5 points from last year.
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