NCAA Championships Made History Across the Board

Kenzie Jones, Sports Editor

The NCAA Track & Field Championships came to a close yesterday in Eugene, Oregon’s Hayward Field. This year was the first year that Utah Valley University has ever sent a Track & Field athlete to this event, and history just kept on being made for the institution.

Michael McPherson, a junior at UVU, made it to the NCAA Finals in the decathlon idiomatically after  his performance of 7,401 points at the WAC Championships that were held at UVU’s Hal Wing Field in May.

Taking a historic 16th place finish with 7,272 points, McPherson earned the Second Team All-America honors. Making him UVU’s first ever track & field All-American at the Division 1 level. McPherson’s 16th placement came about after he took 4th in the 1500-meter run, 11th in the 110m hurdles, 18th in the pole vault, 20th in the javelin, and 22nd in the discus. The 7,272 points that McPherson recorded at the NCAA Championships rank him second all-time in UVU’s track & field history.

UVU wasn’t the only school making history for themselves at this years NCAA Finals. Oregon men scurried its first team title at a NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track & Field Championship since 1984. The Ducks’ victory marks the largest margin of victory for this event since 1994. Texas A&M women won their fourth NCAA outdoor track & field title since 2009.