Rochester, N.Y. – The 2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships opened on Thursday on the campus of St. John Fisher College. Five Wheaton athletes are representing the 'Orange and Blue' at Nationals. Three members of the Thunder men's track & field team traveled to New York, while two members of the Wheaton women's team competed.
WOMEN'S TEAM FRIDAY RECAP
Abi Gum completed the final three events of the two-day heptathlon. Gum started the day in 18th among the 22 competitors in the heptathlon and used a strong Friday performance to finish in 12th place with 4,610 points.
She opened Friday's heptathlon action with an effort of 5.19-meters in the long jump to earn 612 points. She added 551 points with an effort of 33.91-meters in the javelin throw. Her strongest performance over the seven events came in the final event - the 800-meter run. She posted a time of 2:21.25 to earn 807 points. Her time in the 800 meters was the second-fastest among all of the heptathlon competitors and the 807 points she earned was her top point total of the championships.
MEN'S TEAM FRIDAY RECAP
Isaiah Clausen wrapped up the decathlon on Friday with the final five events of the 10-event competition. Clausen scored 6,780 total points to finish fourth in the 22-man field. By finishing in the top eight at Nationals Clausen earns All-America recognition from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). This is Clausen's third career All-America award. In addition to this year's outdoor All-America Award he is a two-time (2022 & 2023) USTFCCCA All-American in indoor track & field in the heptathlon.
Clausen's first event on Friday was the 110-meter hurdles, posting a time of 15.36-seconds to earn 807 points. Clausen's effort in the hurdles moved him up three spots in the standings from sixth place to third place.
Friday's second event was the discus throw, where Clausen had a toss of 33.48-meters to score 533 points. In the pole vault he cleared a height of 4.10-meters to score 645 points. His effort of 43.41-meters in the javelin throw earned him 492 points.
The decathlon's 1,500-meter run was the final event on the track on Friday. Clausen started the final event of the decathlon in fourth place in the standings and was in strong position to earn a top-eight spot and a trip to the podium. He recorded a time of 4:34.52 to earn 715 points. His effort was the fourth-fastest time of the decathletes in the 1,500-meter run as he secured the All-America award.
WOMEN'S TEAM THURSDAY RECAP
Abi Gum (PICTURED LEFT) competed in the first four events of the two-day heptathlon, placing in 18 in the 22-woman field at the end of day one with 2,640 points. Gum posted a time of 15.46-seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to garner 782 points. She had an effort of 1.37-meters in the high jump, adding 481 points to her total. She had an effort of 10.46-meters in the shot put to add 560 points. Gum closed her first day of competition with a time of 25.77-seconds in the 200-meter dash to add 817 points and improve her standing from 20
th to 18
th.
Susannah Bennett competed in the women's 10,000-meter run, the final event on day one. The fast-faced race saw the top three placers all break the previous D3 Championships record. Bennett posted a time of 35:46.35, just two seconds off of Wheaton's school record in the event. Bennett was 21
st midway through the match and battled her way through the field to finish in 16
th.
MEN'S TEAM THURSDAY RECAP
Clausen competed in the first five events of the two-day decathlon, placing in sixth in the 22-man field at the end of day one with 3,588 points. Clausen opened the day with a time of 11.10-seconds in the 100-meter dash for 838 points. Clausen had an effort of 6.77-meters for 760 points in the long jump. He added 520 points in the shot put with a heave of 10.57-meters. His biggest jump in the standings on Thursday came from a move from eighth place to fifth place following his performance in the high jump. Clausen's mark of 1.90 in the high jump was the second-best effort of the decathletes in the event and it earned him 714 points. He closed Thursday with a time of 51.30-seconds in the 400-meter run to earn 756 points. The decathlon will conclude on Friday with the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.
Eli Odell, an All-American in 2021, competed in the prelims of the men's 400-meter hurdles on Thursday evening. Odell posted a time of 54.92-seconds, placing 19
th in the 22-man field.
Sam Elsen participated in one of two prelims of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Elsen ran most of the event, however he was unable to finish the and complete the race.
