Rader earns second River States Conference Field Athlete of the Week honor in three weeks' time

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Behind three personal bests and school record marks in the high jump, long jump and the 60 meter hurdles -- including an NAIA National 'B' Standard mark of 23 feet, two-and-three-quarters inches in the long jump -- Shawnee State sophomore talent Luke Rader was named as the River States Conference Field Athlete of the Week for the second time in a three-week span as conference officials announced the awarding of the weekly honor to Rader, again, Monday afternoon.

Having already enjoyed a successful indoor season to date, Rader sealed his first-ever berth to the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, posting a 23-foot, two-and-three-quarters inch long jump to not only win the Cedarville Collegiate Invitational, but obtain his first career NAIA National 'B' Standard mark as well. Rader not only won the event, but did so with relative ease as the sophomore was one of only two individuals to jump over 21 feet in the event. His winning mark is now tied for 16th nationally as well.

Rader also posted a 43-foot, nine-and-a-quarter-inch mark triple jump and notched an 8.56 60 meter hurdles at the Cedarville Collegiate Invite.

As a result, Rader beat his own personal bests -- and school records -- in each of the three events that he participated in Friday evening, all while scoring 22 of Shawnee State's 63 points on his own. SSU placed third overall as a team out of the 12 teams that participated at Cedarville.

Rader -- along with the rest of the men's and women's track and field programs -- will be back in action for the final meet of the 2024-25 indoor track and field regular season when the Bears compete at the Fourth Annual Jud Logan Light Giver Meet at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. The meet is a two-day event that will run on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8.