WAVERLY, Iowa. (csssaints.com) – Wartburg University continued it's yearly tradition of rounding up top Division III talent from around the country to take one last shot at punching their ticket to the NCAA Championships. Top talent from the American Rivers Conference, MIAC, WIAC, and beyond brought their best to assure a spot on the line at next weekend's championships in Birmingham, AL. In order to qualify for the championships, an athlete must be in the top 20 declared athletes in each respective event.

SAINTS PERFORMERS
Saints thrower Lily Beneke (Green Isle, Minn./Sibley East HS) traveled to Waverly with her eyes set on unleashing a big throw and moving on to her first NCAA Indoor Championships. After getting a taste of national competition last spring as an NCAA qualifier outdoors in the hammer throw, Beneke was eager to move on and attain this feat
indoors.

After a tough couple of throws to start her series, Beneke found one of her best marks of the season when she needed it most. On what could have been her last throw of the season, she unleashed a toss of 16.20m (53-1.75ft) to catapult herself into the final.

Beneke was unable to improve on this mark and finished eighth overall in the competition.

St. Scholastica senior sprinter Samuel Eben Ebai Jr. (Yaounde, Cameroon/P.S.S. Mankon)also made a bid to extend his season on Saturday afternoon in the 60m dash. Sam is no stranger to this meet, as he won this event last year, propelling him to the 2022 NCAA Championships where he went on to place fourth overall and secure All-American status.

In the prelim of Saturday's 60m dash, Eben Ebai raced his way to a smooth and decisive victory. The heat win assured him a preferred lane against a national-class field in the final.

The final brought plenty of tension as the competitors on the line knew this would be their last shot at having a chance to decide their own fate. Eben Ebai got out with the field and raced to the line in a tight, near-blanket finish. His time of 6.88 placed him third overall in the competition but failed to help his standing on the ultra-competition NCAA qualifying list.

Currently, Eben Ebai sits in a four-way tie for 20th that will be decided by the NCAA's tie-breaking methods. His fate will be decided by the selection committee Sunday evening.

UP NEXT
The top 20 declared athletes in each event will face off for All-American honors and a National Championships in Birmingham, AL on March 17-19. The Saints track and field team will get one more week of training in before spring break. When they return, the outdoor season will officially kick-off. The first scheduled meet for the team is on April 1 at Hamline University in St. Paul.