Trailblazer Track and Field begin final preparations for upcoming Outdoor Nationals next week

VINCENNES, Ind – The 2021 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Nationals at South Plains College in Levelland, Tex. are fast approaching and the Blazers are putting the finishing touches on what has already been a fairly successful outdoor season.

The Vincennes University Track and Field season got off to a hot start in the indoor season, with VU coming away with a pair of pole-vaulting National Champions in Makinzi Meurer and Matteo Capello.

Capello then continued on this success in the outdoor season, setting a new NJCAA outdoor pole-vaulting record at the Sycamore Open in Terre Haute.

Meurer had a successful season throwing the javelin, as she and Walter Martin set new school records in the javelin at the Olivet Nazarene Invitational last weekend.

"We've had a pretty good outdoor season," VU Track and Field coach Chris Gafner said. "I was hoping to have a few more qualifiers but we didn't get great weather throughout the season, so some of our running events suffered from that. But it's still been a good season, we've had some success, especially in the field events, so we're hoping to build on that going into Nationals. We've also had some success at the women's distance side, so I'm pretty happy with the way we've performed, but it would be nice to finish off well."

On the men's side, VU will be sending a full-slate of field athletes, headlined by a trio of pole vaulters led by Capello. Vincennes is also sending Cole Sumner and Matthew Frazier to Nationals as well.

Anthony Campbell will be competing in the high jump, Eddie Garcia will throw the discus and Chase Knoblett will compete in the decathlon. Kyle Stewart will also represent the Blazers in the long jump.

Walter Martin qualified for a pair of events in the javelin and hammer throw. Martin will be joined by Ryan Golliher in the hammer throw.

"The field events on the men's side have been absolutely the highlight for us this outdoor season," Gafner added. "Right now, I feel like we have the best group of vaulters in the country at the junior college level. That's always somewhere we shine but also in the jumps, Anthony Campbell has been super consistent throughout the year both high jump and long jump, even though he's only high jumping at Nationals."

"Kyle Stewart has had some stellar moments. He can have a good day and be in the mix in any meet. In the throws, Walter set the school record in the javelin, that puts him in a position where he could place at Nationals if he has a good day. Same thing with Ryan Golliher, he's had some good days and he's sitting pretty high on our All-Time list, so we're hoping he's ready to go and firing on all cylinders when we get out there."

"So really everybody that's competing in a field event at Nationals, I think, has a pretty good shot of ending up on the podium if they have a good day. You can't really predict if it's going to be a good day going in, but I think we're going to be ready going in."

The women's team is sending a solid mix of runners and throwers to Nationals, including the 4 x 400-meter relay team of Chloe Knepp, Kaylee Lange, Kaitlyn Koenig and Cross Country All-American Kyra Young. Young will also be competing in the women's 1500-meter race as well.

Fellow Cross Country All-American Meagan Moreno will represent the blue and gold in the women's 5000-meter and 10000-meter races at Nationals.

On the field events side the VU women's team will be sending high jumper Ryann Griesemer and reigning Indoor National Champion pole vaulter Makinzi Meurer.

Vincennes is also sending runners Jacy Collins and Asia McLemore as alternates on the women's 4 x 400-meter relay team.

"We don't have quite the same depth on the women's side, although it's more of an all-around effort in different events," Gafner said. "I think we're ready to go, to have some good performances, especially on the running side, where we can show a little bit more than what we have so far. Because we've had so many windy days where we just couldn't get the times that we wanted. So, I think we have a good shot of improving on where we're ranked in those events."

"Makinzi's had a great year, she's had a great indoor season, she's had a great outdoor season, she's going to be ready to go heading into Nationals. I'm excited to see her perform at the National meet."

The Trailblazers are putting the finishing touches on the 2021 Track and Field season and will look to close out the year with another strong showing.

"For me, it always comes down to did we come ready to compete," Gafner said. "You can't always control how you're going to feel on a certain day. You can't always control some of the conditions but you can always control your mindset and how you compete on that given day. That's what defines success for me, not necessarily a certain place or a certain mark but did we go in and really give it the absolute best effort that allowed us to compete at our highest level for that day."

"That's success for me and that's all I'm looking for. It's a big meet, it's the National meet but in the end it's just another meet, so we take the same mindset going into all these meets. Try to prepare and get ready for them as best we can, but did we really go in and put ourselves in the position to really compete at a high level. And if we do, then that was a successful meet for me."

The 2021 NJCAA Division I Outdoor National Championships will begin Tuesday, May 11 and run through Thursday, May 13.

VINCENNES NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

Men's

Anthony Campbell – High Jump

Matteo Capello – Pole Vault

Matthew Frazier – Pole Vault

Eddie Garcia – Discus

Ryan Golliher – Hammer Throw

Walter Martin – Javelin, Hammer Throw

Kyle Stewart – Long Jump

Cole Sumner – Pole Vault

Chase Knoblett – Decathlon

Women's

Jacy Collins – 4x400 Relay

Ryann Griesemer – High Jump

Chloe Knepp – 4x400 Relay

Kaylee Lange – 4x400 Relay

Kaitlyn Koenig – 4x400 Relay

Asia McLemore – 4x400 Relay

Makinzi Meurer – Pole Vault

Meagan Moreno – 10,000 Meters, 5,000 Meters

Kyra Young – 1500 Meters, 4x400 Relay