National Champion: Reider Wins Javelin at NCAA Track and Field Championships
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Shippensburg men's track and field senior Nate Reider(York/Dallastown) became the fifth national champion in team history and
first since 1992 after winning the javelin on Saturday at the NCAA Division
II Track and Field Championships being held at the Irwin Belk Complex on the
campus of Johnson C. Smith University.
Reider, who earned his second consecutive All-American honor after finishing
sixth in the javelin at last year's national championships, is the second
athlete from Shippensburg to win an individual title in the javelin. Matt
Opilo captured the program's first national championship in the javelin in
1978.
Seeded third at 64.34 meters in his third-straight NCAA championship
appearance in the javelin, Reider qualified for the finals in eighth-place
with a throw of 59.71 meters. However, on the first of his three throws in
the finals, he established a new career-best with a throw of 66.19 meters
which was just over 217-feet to edge out Tyson Allen of Emporia State who
placed second at 66.12 meters.
In winning the national championship, Reider edged out defending national
champion and top-seeded Andrew Vogelsberg of Emporia State. Vogelsberg, who
had nation's top mark of 70.96 meters entering the competition, placed
fourth with a throw of 64.02 meters. Meanwhile, Garret Edgard of Fort Hayes
State, who was seeded second at 64.65 meters, finished 18th.
The Red Raiders have earned All-America status in the javelin 17 times,
including at least once every year since 2003. Since 1996, a total of eight
athletes have earned 14 All-America honors in the javelin for Shippensburg,
including current throws coach Kurt Dunkel '98 who finished second in both
1997 and 1998.
In nine years as an assistant coach with the Red Raiders, Dunkel has coached
103 conference placewinners, 16 conference champions, 37 NCAA qualifiers,
nine All-Americans, 10 school record holders, three conference championship
record holders and one Academic All-American.
Reider finishes his career with sixth individual championships to his
credit, including four this year, and as a four-time national qualifier.
In addition to his national championship this year, Reider won three
conference championships, capturing first-place in both the hammer throw and
javelin at the PSAC outdoor championships hosted at Shippensburg earlier
this month after winning an individual title in the weight throw at the
conference's indoor championships in February. In 2006, he also won PSAC
championships in the javelin and weight throw.
On the national level, Reider qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships
in the javelin three times in 2005, 2006 and 2007 while also qualifying in
the weight throw for the 2007 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field
Championships where he placed fifth after setting a new PSAC indoor meet and
school record for the second-straight season with a mark of 18.76 meters
(61' 6 3/4").
Notes
• Senior Bernie Richards (York Haven/Northeastern York) made his first
appearance at the NCAA championships after qualifying in both the 110-meter
hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. He finished fifth in his heat at 15th
overall in the 400 hurdles on Thursday with a time of 52.56 seconds before
placing sixth in his heat and 17th overall in the 110 hurdles on Friday with
a time of 14.95 seconds.
Richards won the 400-meter hurdle title at the PSAC outdoor championships,
his first career individual championship, and finished sixth in the
110-meter hurdles.