Chippewa Valley Times

May 22, 2025

Geneva, Ohio — Yakob Ekoue claimed his fourth national title at the NCAA Championships, marking a significant achievement in his athletic career. Ekoue secured his second consecutive national title in men's discus during the opening day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at SPIRE Institute. This victory adds to his career total of four national championships, with three titles in outdoor events and one in indoor.

Ekoue's throw of 58.17 meters is noted as the eighth-best in meet history. Gage Stankiewicz also performed well, finishing seventh and earning All-America status for the first time. Soren Johnson placed 15th.

The Blugold men's team benefited from Ekoue's performance, positioning them second in the team standings with 12 points, behind UW-Oshkosh's 24 points.

The Blugold women's team tied for third place with 13 points, trailing MIT's lead of 17 points. Laura Bertrang earned All-America honors with a runner-up finish in javelin, achieving a throw of 41.88 meters. Kayla Behnke secured her seventh All-America honor by finishing fourth in women's discus with a throw of 44.02 meters.

In multi-event competitions, Emilee Booker stands third and Emma Gruen fifth in heptathlon; Mitch Stegeman is ninth and Max Foland thirteenth in decathlon.

Preliminary rounds saw several Blugolds advancing to finals: both men's and women's 4x100-meter relays, women's 4x400-meter relay, Sam Verkerke in men's 1,500 meters, Blake Postler in men's 400-meter hurdles, and Mason Shea in men's steeplechase.

The championship meet continues on Friday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Blugold fans can follow updates throughout the season on Blugolds.com or through their app Blugold Sports on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.