UNK Track: Lopers Have Productive First Day at Nationals; Ferguson Runs for Third Natty Sat. Afterno

Ferguson Now a Rare 5-Tme All-American

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney men's distance medley relay team earned All-American honors for a second straight year and Wes Ferguson and Luke Stuckey qualified for event finals on day one of the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships Friday in Virginia Beach. To begin the weekend, Stuckey (McCool Junction/York H.S.) placed fourth in the mile prelims with a 4:07.59 to reach the finals Saturday at 3:35 p.m. Miguel Cooca of Adams State (4:07.38) and two others were just ahead. He'll be the first UNK mile AA since Cole Wellnitz in 2015 with Stuckey now a four-time All-American. He also ran the opening leg for the DMR team that turned in a 9:51.58, good for eighth place. Wingate (9:42.81) held off a late charge from Northwest Missouri (9:43.12) to claim the national title. Joining Stuckey on this team was Ferguson, Wallace junior Micah Swedberg and David City sophomore Payton Davis. Last year, UNK was eighth as well with Stuckey and Swedberg part of that effort. Ferguson (Fremont), coming off 800-meter national titles in both indoor and outdoor last year, ran a 1:52.06 to record the third best time in prelims. The finals Saturday at 4:20 p.m. will consist of 10 runners as a collision during one heat of the prelims will bring in two more qualifiers. Moroccan national Oussama El Bouchayby (1:51.04) and Colorado State-Pueblo's Reece Sharman-Newell (1:51.41) ranked 1-2 and will likely be Ferguson's competition for the title. He is now a five-time All-American, joining thrower Lance Pfeiffer (2003-07) and fellow distance runner Ivan Ivanov (1995-96) in rare company. Finally, Giltner redshirt senior Alex Goracke competed in the weight throw and came in 17th with a toss of 57-1.50. Missouri Southern's Peyton Barton won the national title (71-2.50) with Brock Janowicz of Ashland (Ohio) coming in 12th to earn the last AA spot (62-11.25). Action resumes Saturday morning with Alex Homan (pole vault) and Brayden Sorensen (high jump) joining Stuckey and Ferguson as the UNK competitors for the day.