EMPORIA, KANSAS – The Grand Valley State track and field team secured a fourth and fifth place finish at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships on Saturday, May 25^th. The Laker ladies captured a fourth place finish tailing a team score of 39.5 points, falling shortly behind Azusa Pacific in third place with 44 points. The men finished in fifth place with a total of 41.5 points behind Missouri Southern with 42 points. 

Final Results
Erika Beistle led the Lakers this weekend after earning two National Championship title, recording 20 points for her team. Beistle claimed her first title in the discus on Friday, May 24^th and captured her second title in the shot put on the final day. Beistle threw for a distance of 16.82m in the shot put, recording a new personal-best, Grand Valley State school record and Welch Stadium facility record. 

Klaudia O'Malley finished in third place in the women's 1500m with a time of 4:21.65. O'Malley tailed an additional six points to the women's team score. Additionally, O'Malley finished in 10^th place in the 5,000m later that evening, recording a time of 17:03.14. 

On the men's side, Myles Kerner secured the National title in the men's shot put with a massive throw of 19.94m. Kerner set a new personal-best, Grand Valley State school record and Welch Stadium facility record. Matt Thomas finished in fifth place with a distance of 18.13m. 

Bobby Maxwell recorded a new personal-best and Grand Valley State school record in the men's javelin, launching a distance of 66.04m. Maxwell finished in ninth place overall. 

Wyatt Alwine tied for eighth in the men's pole vault, clearing a height of 5.10m. 

On the track, the men's 4x400m relay team consisting of Steven Harris, Zach Pray, Fallou Gaye and Myles Rhodes recorded the Lakers final points of the weekend. The relay team left it all out on the track, as they finished in sixth place with a time of 3:09.47.