Track Teams Send Pair To NCAA Division II National Championships
The Northwood University track and field teams will send a pair of student-athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championships.
From the men's team, freshman Daniel Capek will compete in the hammer throw, while junior Madison Pines will compete from the women's program in the 1,500 meter run.
A four-time NCAA national qualifier, Pines is seeded 11th in the 1,500 meter run thanks to her time of 4:29.46 which she ran at the Hillsdale Gina Relays. She holds a total of four school records overall at Northwood and was named the named the Elite 89 Award Winner at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. That award is given to the athlete with the highest overall GPA in the event. Pines was also recently named valedictorian of the Northwood class of 2013, thanks to graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA in just three years.
Capek will be making his first appearance at an NCAA Championship thanks to a late push to make the event. He made it into the hammer throw field at the GVSU Second to Last Chance meet on May 10. He had a toss of 192-2 at the event, which was nearly three feet further than his previous best this season. That mark is a new Northwood school record and seeds Capek 14th overall in the event.
The top eight finishers in each event will earn All-America honors.
The championships will be held May 23-25 in Pueblo, Colo., at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. Colorado State-Pueblo will serve as host of the championships.