Staashelm, Halloran finish 1-2 at UNK

Senior Seth Staashelm and junior Logann Halloran finished first and second for Northwest Missouri State track and field earning NCAA provisional marks in the heptathlon at the Nebraska-Kearney Pre-Holiday Invitational Saturday.

Staashelm took first place to earn his provisional mark with 4768 points. The senior finished first in the 1000-meter run, the long jump and the high jump to capture first place edging out his teammate.

Halloran earned first place finishes in the shot put and pole vault to close out his day with 4677 points – also a NCAA provisional mark. The junior captured a runner-up finish in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles.

The Northwest track and field teams are off until Jan. 11.

Friday's Results

AMES, Iowa – Senior Megan Elder finished first in the pole vault while sophomore Eli Smith captured a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash and helped lead the 4x300-meter relay team to a school record for the Northwest Missouri State track and field teams Friday at the Cyclone Holiday Preview.

Elder broke her own personal best mark with a jump of 11-05.75 (3.50m) to finish first in the pole vault.

Her mark also now gives her the third and fourth best indoor pole vault marks in the Northwest record books.

Smith picked up where he left off after a stellar freshman season racing to a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash. Smith's time of 48.86 was just behind first place Michael Ashley of Lincoln who clocked a time of 48.44. Smith's mark was also the best of his career and now stands as the fourth best mark on the all-time list at Northwest.

Smith also teamed with Porter Groves, Zach Dixon and Kellen Schroeder to record a top 10 finish in the 4x300-meter relay.

The relay team tied the school record in the 4x300-meter relay that Smith was a member of and set last December with an identical mark of 2:23.94. Their time was five second off the pace of first place Iowa State.

On the men's side a pair of pole vaulters also recorded high marks as Will Haer finished fourth and Kemper Kellerstrass checked in at eighth.

Haer's mark of 15-11.00 was the second best of his career and moves into the No. 6 spot on the Northwest indoor records. Kellerstrass narrowly missed his personal best, which is also the 10th best mark on the all-time list at Northwest.

For the Bearcat women, Ashton Nibert claimed a personal best in the 400-meter dash with a third place finish. Nibert raced to a time of 57.10, which ranks as the third best time in the Northwest record book.

Also with top 10 finishes for the Northwest women were Audrey Bolinger and Emilee Messer. Both finished sixth in their respective races.

Bolinger's time of 1:29.57 placed her just seven seconds behind first place Donnise Powell of Iowa State in the 600-yard run. Messer's sixth place finish came in the 1-mile run as she finished with a time of 5:28.69.