Katelyn Daniels throwing the discus. Photo courtesy of MSU Athletic Communications.
—As MSU track and field's season came to an end, multiple Spartans ended it with a bang.
The NCAA Championships spanned four days, each day providing a number of highlights for the Spartans. Six different athletes who donned the green and white earned All-American accolades by the end of the meet.
On Opening Day, junior Noah Gary earned second-team All-American honors in the pole vault. The Dexter, Michigan native finished 14th place. Elsewhere, junior Justine Kiprotich finished second in his heat, advancing to the finals of the 1,500-meter run.
MSU had three athletes in action on the second day of the meet and all three garnered All-American accolades.
For the second time in his career in the decathlon, junior Tim Ehrhardt was an All-American, this time on the second team. Junior Jade Madison and redshirt-senior Hannah Sailar both performed to the level of a third-team All-American.
Madison, a New Buffalo, Michigan native, competed in the javelin. She finished 19th and threw for a personal-best of 49.20 meters, besting her previous high of 48.30 meters. Making her NCAA Championships debut, Sailar went against the nation's best in the pole vault and excelled. She cleared 4.00 meters, tying for 17th on her way to an All-American honor.
On day three, it was Kiprotich's turn in the 1,500-meter run. The 2017 Big Ten Champion finished second overall in the nation on his way to earning a spot on the podium. He clocked a 3:43.50 finish as he went from third to second in the closing moments of the race.
"It felt awesome with 400 (meters) to go," Kiprotich told MSU Athletic Communications. "With 300 (meters) to go, I made my move and I was feeling great with that move. I am so excited, and I want to be in this position in every championship."
MSU's last competing athlete on the final day of the NCAA Championships, Katelyn Daniels, used a season-best throw to finish sixth in the nation. This is her third-straight national championship.
Last season, Daniels finished fifth, earning first-team honors. Daniels was an All-American as a freshman, claiming the No. 15 spot.
"I felt like we were really engaged all week," Director of Track and Field Walt Drenth said. "The things that we asked them to do for the most part we did really well. We were at our best in almost every event better than we have been all year."
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