Austin sets new personal best, school record, second NAIA National 'B' Standard in as many weeks for SSU Men's Outdoor T&F in discus on final day of 49er Classic
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For the second time in as many weekends to start the outdoor track and field season, Shawnee State sophomore thrower Alan Austin posted a NAIA National 'B' Standard in the discus -- as the sophomore's 51.18 meter throw allowed Austin to set a new personal best, a new school record and a top-three NAIA throwing mark in the event on the final day of the Charlotte 49er Classic, which was held at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Austin, whose 51.18 meter throw amounted to 167 feet, 11 inches, posted a mark that sat less than a half of a meter off of a NAIA National 'A' Standard -- and obilterated his previous personal best by five feet, two inches in doing so.
In doing so, Austin outthrew 20 NCAA Division I discus competitors from Charlotte, Cornell, Davidson, Duquesne, East Tennessee State, Morgan State (Md.), North Carolina State, Queens (N.C.), UNC-Asheville, and Wofford (S.C.) with his performance on Saturday.
Along with accomplishing the above marks in the discus, Austin also matched his personal best throw in the shot put, throwing a 15.36-meter, or 50-foot, four-and-three-quarters inch mark to place ninth out of 46 individuals in the shot put to match his mark from the 2025 River States Conference Championship meet from an indoor standpoint. Austin defeated 17 NCAA Division I competitors from Charlotte, Cornell, Davidson, Duquesne, East Tennessee State, Morgan State (Md.), North Carolina State, Queens (N.C.), South Carolina Upstate, UNC-Asheville and Wofford (S.C.) as a result of matching his PB in the event.
In the 800 meter dash, Dylan French posted a personal best time that bettered an additional 17 NCAA Division I competitors -- as French's 1:56.26 was a stout 13th place in a field of 54 competitors -- while Trevor Lanoy's 16th place showing of 1:57.02 beat out 16 NCAA Division I harriers. The duo beat out runners from Davidson, Duquesne, East Tennessee State, Queens (N.C.), Presbyterian (S.C.), South Carolina Upstate, UNC-Asheville and Wofford (S.C.) in the process.
Along with the above talents, Caden LaRue set his second personal best of the weekend, dropping his 800 meter dash time by exactly four seconds (2:05.30 to 2:01.30), while Isaiah Lanoy ran a 2:01.72 as the latter duo finished 37th and 39th respectively. LaRue beat out six NCAA Division I runners while Isaiah Lanoy bettered five D-I athletes.
"The men in the 800 meter run and Alan had a great day," Shawnee State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Conner Flynn said. "Alan is clicking each week and Dylan French and Caden LaRue had a great weekend setting personal bests in both of their events."
In the 200 meter dash, Davin Heckard knocked down his personal best time by nearly a half a second and beat eight NCAA D-I runners en route to a 42nd-place run of 22.79, while Garrett McKinniss outran seven NCAA D-I competitors in running his 23.11 to finish 48th. Cameron Cannon, who claimed 65th in the event, beat his own personal best by three one-hundredths of a second en route to placing 65th with a 25-second time.
The remaining competitors finished as follows:
3,000 meter run -- Aidan Judd, 25th, 9:50.99; Malachi Shugert, 26th, 9:55.23; Walker Pannell, 28th, 9:58.46; Connor Blagg, 32nd, 10:22.05
Shawnee State 4-by-100 meter relay, 10th, 43.40
Additional
The men's track and field program, along with the women's track and field program, will be back in action Saturday, March 29 when Shawnee State competes at the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open in Cedarville, Ohio -- which will be hosted by Cedarville University. The meet commences Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.
