Ferguson Runs Second-Best 800 Time in D2 History
Kearney, Neb. – Wes Ferguson was National Runner Up in the 800, Luke Stuckey finished third in the mile and Alex Homan earned second-team All-American honors in the pole vault to lead Nebraska Kearney on the final day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach. Including the eighth-place distance medley team, UNK finished with seven All-Americans at this meet for a second straight year. The Lopers tallied 15 points to be 17th in the team race; MIAA-member Pittsburg State (86 points) rolled to the national title. Ferguson (Fremont) was aiming to defend his 800-meter national title and promptly turned in the second-fastest time in D2 history (1:47.16). However, 24-year-old Moroccan freshman Oussama El Bouchayby managed the best time in D2 history (1:46.78) to win the gold. Earlier this winter, El Bouchayby broke the previous all-time D2 record (1:47.34; 2012) thanks to a 1:47.11. Today he led most of the way before Ferguson made a late push and briefly grabbed the lead. But, the Angelo (Texas) State Ram had enough to pull away for the win. Ferguson, who also won the 800 outdoor national title last May, is a five-time All-American along with fellow distance runner Ivan Ivanov and thrower Lance Pfeiffer. Current assistant coach Dane Tobey and thrower has a program-best eight D2 AA honors. Finally, Ferguson’s previous indoor best in the 800 was a 1:48.25 set last month.
Stuckey (McCool Junction/York H.S.) is now one of five Loper men to be a four-time All-American after a strong effort in the mile. He ran the final 800 in 1:55.98 to record a final tally of 4:07.92, literally just behind national runner up Luke Julian of Colorado Mines (4:07.71) and national champ Miguel Coca of Adams State (4:07.17). Cole Wellnitz (2015) is the last UNK runner to AA in this event. Next, Homan (Creighton) cleared 15-11 on his third and final attempt to finish 11th and earn his first AA status (first-team 1-8; second-team 9-12). The redshirt sophomore joins Mike Ford (2005), Dakota Cochrane (2007) and Bailey Stapleman (2018) as UNK men to earn indoor D2 All-American status in the vault. Harding (Ark.) freshman Vlad Malykhin won the national title (meet-record 18-1.25) with the MIAA placing fourth through seventh. Finally, Kearney redshirt junior Brayden Sorensen was trying to pick up his fourth AA honor but bowed out of the high jump at 6-10.25. He cleared 6-8.25 on his second attempt to finish 14th overall. The MIAA went 1-2 here as Pitt State's Cordell Tinch and Central Missouri's Cadman Evans both cleared 7-1.75. Tinch took the title as he reached the height on his first attempt. The outdoor season begins on March 24 at the Emporia State Relays in Kansas.
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