Track & Field | 5/24/2018 9:12:00 PM

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CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Overtaking five opponents on the final lap, Western Oregon University senior Kennedy Rufener captured All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday.
 
Running steady at around the 10th position for the vast majority of the race, Rufener had never moved into a slot higher than seventh place until the final trip around the oval. At the bell, Rufener posted the fastest final lap of the day (1:12.22) to cross the line with a school record time of 35:05.91 and earn podium honors. The finish provided five points for the WOU women's team total. 
 
Alaska Anchorage's Caroline Kurgat, the national leader and NCAA DII cross country champion, won the 10,000 crown by more than 35 seconds with a 34:13.80. Mount Olive's Leah Hanle took second with a 34:49.50 while Chico State's Hannah Dorman held off Rufener's charge with a 35:05.06.
 
Rufener entered the race ranked No. 12 in the 22-member field according to the NCAA DII performance list.
 
In the only other final for the Wolves on Thursday, sophomore Alani Troutman placed 16th in the men's long jump with an opening leap of 23-8 3/4 (7.23m). The distance fell just over five inches shy of the ninth and final qualifying spot to finals which was taken by West Texas A&M's Abraham Seaneke at 24-3 1/2 (7.41m). Taking home the national championship with a 26-2 1/4 (7.98m), Minnesota State-Moorhead's Brian Huber was the lone athlete to top 26-feet on the day.
 
In preliminary action, Western Oregon went 3-for-3 on the day with all three racers competing in the 1,500 advancing to Saturday's finale.
 
Dustin Nading opened WOU's day on the track by claiming a win in the opening heat of the 1,500 with a time of 3:51.65. Nading, the NCAA DII national champion in the mile during the indoor season, took the lead from the gun and never relinquished the spot to advance to finals comfortably with the wire-to-wire win. 

David Ribich, the reigning NCAA DII national champion in the 1,500, successfully navigated the second heat of the event with a 3:51.01 to place second and move on safely as the top four runners in each section automatically advanced. 
 
Elias Gedyon, competing for Adams State, posted the fastest time of the day in the 1,500 with a 3:50.95. Ribich holds the NCAA DII all-time record with a 3:37.35 this season while Nading holds a season-best of 3:45.34 for a No. 6 nationally DII ranking this spring.

After watching her two teammates triumph through the prelims, Suzanne Van De Grift found herself at the lead from the start of the first section of the women's 1,500. A co-leader at the 800 mark, Van De Grift briefly found trouble as the field prepared its kick. With competitors lined four across nearing the 1,000-meter mark, Van De Grift got sandwiched into the middle of the pack but soon found space with 300 meters to go. 
 
Staying on the heels of the leaders, Van De Grift upper her pace along the back straightaway and maintained her positioning on the final stretch to cross in third place to secure a finalist spot. Van De Grift clocked a 4:30.03 to edge Adams State's Roisin Flanagan to the line. Flanagan turned in a 4:30.30 for the slowest qualifying time. 
 
Van De Grift will be joined in the finals by two familiar faces from the GNAC as Simon Fraser's Addy Townsend and Seattle Pacific's Kate Lilly advanced out of the second section. 

In the lone individual event for the Wolves on Friday, Olivia Woods and Megan Rose will look to advance in the women's 800 while the duo will join forces with Van De Grift and Grayson Burke for the prelims of the 1,600-meter relay to end the day. The 800 is scheduled to begin at 6:20 p.m. (EST) while the relay competition is due for a 8:10 p.m. (EST) start. 

All-American
4. Kennedy Rufener, 10,000

WOU School Record
35:05.91: Kennedy Rufener, 10,000 (Old record, Rufener, 35:10.65, 2018)

Advancing to Finals
1,500 (Men's): David Ribich, Dustin Nading
1,500 (Women's): Suzanne Van De Grift 

NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Johnson C. Smith University
Irwin Belk Complex
Charlotte, N.C.

WOU Men's Results
1,500 (Heat 1): 1. Dustin Nading. 3:51.65. 1,500 (Heat 2): 2. David Ribich, 3:51.01. Long Jump: 16. Alani Troutman, 23-8 3/4 (7.23m)

WOU Women's Results
1,500 (Heat 1): 3. Suzanne Van De Grift, 4:30.03. 10,000: 4. Kennedy Rufener, 35:05.91.
 
Friday's WOU Schedule (All times EST)
6:20 pm – Women's 800 – Olivia Woods, Megan Rose
8:10 pm – Women's 1,600 Relay (Burke, Rose, Van De Grift, Woods)

Saturday's WOU Schedule (All times EST)
1:15 pm – Women's Javelin – Halie Korff, Darian Wilson
3:45 pm – Men's 1,500 (finals) – Nading, Ribich
3:55 pm – Women's 1,500 (finals) – Van De Grift
5:15 pm – Women's 800 (finals)
7:10 pm – Women's 1,600 Relay (finals)