Williams Qualifies, Robinson Breaks Record as WPU Competes in Two Meets
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Kirksville, Mo. / Indianola–Malik Williams (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., Industrial Technology) is the Statesmen track and field team’s newest national qualifier, while Derek Robinson (Sr., Jenks, Okla., Communications) set a new school record as William Penn battled at the Truman Quad Thursday and the Simpson Kip Janvrin Open Friday.
Truman
The WPU men were second out of four programs with 49 points, while host Truman was first with 79 points.
Williams joined Robinson (hammer, discus), Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) (high jump), and Guadalupe Gonzalez (Sr., Houston, Texas, Exercise Science) (marathon) on the national qualifier list after the freshman won the discus event with a provisional standard of 157-0. It is his first career qualification.
Robinson was second in both the discus (152-6) and shot put (46-6), but had his best showing in the hammer with a winning toss of 188-6. The mark broke the program mark of 184-10 set by Derek Seddon last spring.
Tyler Albert (Jr., Eldon, Iowa, Engineering Technology), in the javelin, Brenden Foster (So., Rock Hill, S.C., Biology), in the 110-meter hurdles, and Mofiyinfoluwa Alade (Fr., Hoffman Estates, Ill.), in the high jump, were all event champions as well. Albert took the win at 179-7, while Foster’s victorious time was 15.90 seconds and Alade best jump was 6-1.5.
William Penn’s 4×100-meter relay also claimed gold in a time of 43.08 seconds. Alade picked up a silver in the 110-meter hurdles as well in a time of 16.15 seconds.
Dajon Shaw (Sr., Highland Park, Mich., Exercise Science) was the Statesmen’s top sprinter, finishing second in the 100-meter dash in 11.14 seconds.
The Statesmen were fourth in the women’s team race with 10 points, while Truman finished the sweep with 96 points.
The throwing trio of Shelbie Williams (So., Hedrick, Iowa, Elementary Education), Becky Cleppe (So., St. Petersburg, Fla., Physical Education), and Elayna VanArsdale (So., Bensalem, Pa., Secondary Education) all had a pair of high placings.
Williams was second in the shot put at 38-4.25 and sixth in the discus at 111-8, while Cleppe was third in the javelin (103-11) and fourth in the hammer (132-5). Van Arsdale ended up fifth in the discus at 113-3 and sixth in the hammer at 126-1.
Simpson
Nwagbaraocha guided WPU with a high jump crown at 5-4.25.
Tristen Elmore (So., Ovied, Fla., Physical Education) was WPU’s best male finisher at the Open, taking third in the high jump at 6-5.5. Alade was three spots down the list in fifth at 6-3.5.
Shaw was solid in both the 100 (5th, 10.98) and 200 (16th, 22.58) as well.
Next Up: William Penn will travel to Baldwin City, Kan. next Friday and Saturday to compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships.
