By Con Marshall
While it hadn’t officially been posted as of late Saturday, Chadron State College men’s 4×100 relay team apparently has qualified for the NCAA Division II National Track and Field Championships that will take place May 23-25 at Emporia, Kan.
The Eagles placed third in that event at the Lopers Twilight Meet, also known as a “last chance meet,” on Saturday afternoon in Kearney in 39.88 seconds. That’s the Chadron State record and apparently is the sixth fastest time of the year in Division II. The 12 teams with the fastest times qualify for the national meet.
The CSC relay runners were Morgan Fawver, Esosa Iyangunmwena, Ryan Clapper and Quincy Efeturi.
“It’s amazing that we ran so well,” said CSC Coach Jake Gruver. “We had our secret weapon, Morgan Fawver, available, we had good handoffs and the weather was beautiful. Anytime you dip below 40 seconds it’s a big deal.”
Pittsburg State of Kansas won the 4×100 at Kearney in 39.39 seconds, the fastest time in DII in the nation this year. Central Missouri was second in 39.69 and the Eagles were third with their 39.88. Colorado-Colorado Springs was fourth at 40.06.
There was a similar “last chance meet” hosted by Concordia University at Seward, Neb., on Friday. Its 4×100 relay entries included Northwest Missouri State, which before this weekend had the fastest DII time of 39.79. The Bearcats won that race in 39.60, Emporia State was second in 40.23 and Chadron State was third in 40.37.
Following those two meets, it appears Pittsburg State is the national leader with its 39.39 and Northwest Missouri is second with its 39.60. They are followed by Central Missouri, 39.69; Albany State of New York, 39.74; Alabama State at Huntsville, 39.80; and Chadron State, 39.88. Tiffin of Ohio is seventh, 39.94.
It’s ironic that in 2011 Gruver, who became Chadron State’s head track coach late last summer, anchored the Eagles’ 4×100 relay team which held the school record of 40.50 seconds until Saturday.
He was excited when CSC’s 4×100 relay team opened the outdoor season at Pueblo, Colo., on March 23 with a time of 40.73, the second fastest in school history. That foursome continued to run well while placing second at two major meets, but suffered a setback when one of its original members, Cole Perkins, suffered a pulled hamstring shortly before the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships in late April.
Since spring practice was over, Gruver “borrowed” CSC’s all-conference wide receiver Tommy Thomas from the football team to fill in for Perkins. But Thomas also pulled a hamstring while running the opening leg of the relay at the RMAC Meet and the Eagles could not finish the race.
Gruver never gave up. He knew about the “last chance” opportunities. But he needed to find another runner.
It turned out that the Eagles had an ace in the hole. That is Fawver, definitely one of the fastest athletes on campus. He’s the one Gruver called “our secret weapon.” Early this season Fawver also went on the injury list, but he has faithfully rehabilitated, ran opening 100 meters this weekend, and got the Eagles off to great starts, the coach said.