NAIA NATIONALS LINKS: National Championships Website | Live Scoring | Tickets | Live Stream
MARION, Ind. - The group of Kansas Wesleyan athletes competing in the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week is long on talent and desire but mostly lacking when it comes to experience on the big stage.
Coach Kyle Hiser has no problem with that.
"We have a young group, only one senior going with us - Carter Huyser," Hiser said. "Out of the (seven) he's the only person that's ever been to the Outdoor National Championships. For everyone else competing this weekend it will be their first time at outdoor nationals.
"It's going to be really cool for us coaches to see those athletes get to the outdoor championships for the first time and see what it feels like. I'm excited to see how our team reacts to that atmosphere."
Competition begins Wednesday and continues through Friday on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.
"It's a pretty cool setup," Hiser said. "We live on campus; we eat in the cafeteria then we walk over the track so it's almost like what we're used to during the school year. I'd say it's like an Olympic Village."
IWU's facility features a nine-lane track meaning nine competitors will advance to the finals instead of the usual eight. All events including the throws will be inside the stadium.
"That's how track and field should be done, when everything's contained there and everyone gets to watch it," Hiser said. "You get see some of the best athletes in the country and it's just a walk from the dorm to watch that."
Huyser will compete in the 800 meters and the 4x800-meter relay along with Julian Avila, Ty Davidson and Wyatt Johnson. Keegan Lott will throw the discus; Brenden Ellis will run the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Madisyn Ehrlich the 1,500 meters.
CARTER HUYSER
This will be his 11th and final trip to an NAIA national event having previously qualified in cross country, indoor and outdoor, mostly at Grand View before transferring to KWU in the fall.
Huyser earned indoor All-America honors in the 800 meters in March with a third-place finish and is ranked seventh outdoor with a time of 1:51.09.
"He's never made an outdoor individual final so that's our goal," Hiser said. "The field is the deepest it's been in a very long time, there are multiple sub-1:50 guys.
"We know Carter has it in him. Just survive and advance through the prelims, give yourself a shot and final and anything can happen."
4X800-METER RELAY TEAM
The Coyotes are ranked seventh with a time of 7:35.29 entering the national meet. The group earned All-America honors at the NAIA indoor meet in March with a seventh-place finish.
They won the event twice this spring at the Drake Relays and the Kansas Conference Championships.
"Ty and Julian are the ones to me that really stand out. They're gamers," Hiser said. "It doesn't matter what's thrown at them, they show up each and every day and get the job done. Their work ethic is the reason I think they've been able to take that huge step forward."
KEEGAN LOTT
Lott competed in four throwing events most of the spring but can focus on the discus at nationals after qualifying with a throw of 48.48 meters. He goes in ranked 27th.
"I'm treating this as just having fun," Lott said. "I've always been told by coaches just go out have fun, do what I do. I've been doing it long enough and after you do for so long it's just muscle memory. You've just got to do it.
"I feel like whatever happens, happens. I've prepared for this, and the coaches have done what they can help me prepare for this. I feel like it's all in God's hands at this point."
Lott sought an outdoor berth in the javelin at year ago, but the discus has become his best event.
"He's been focusing on sometimes four throwing events at a meet, now he gets to go focus on one which is super nice and big," Hiser said. "I think it's going to take away a little bit of the stress of not having to do everything."
"This last week of practice has been phenomenal," Lott said. "Feel fluid, just able to feel every little aspect of what's going on with my technique, just super in sync with everything. I'm feeling good and I'm feeling ready."
BRENDEN ELLIS
Ellis is a late bloomer and will be competing in just his fourth steeplechase. He qualified with a time of 9:27.85 and is ranked 34th.
"I was looking at it through indoor season and was like 'I want to try steeplechase,'" he said. "I played around with the hurdles in high school a little bit and was burned out on running. I ran (steeplechase) twice and was like 'this is fun.'
"I'm not fast enough to be a sprinter or anything. Coach Cam (Camden Sesna) did it a couple times during his time at Concordia (University) and he's been a really great help."
Ellis said he views nationals as a chance to learn at the highest level.
"Obviously as a freshman I'm looking at it from more of a realistic standpoint," he said. "I'm ranked 34th so I know that if I want to have a chance to win, I'd have to cut off 30 seconds which I know isn't realistic in a two-week span. So, I'm just going into it with the idea of having fun and experiencing it before I try and catch a title in the next couple of years."
Hiser said Ellis has a bright future.
"With the steeple you have to be athletic and the first day we saw him go over the barriers, to say he was a natural would be an understatement," he said. "It was the smoothest I've ever seen a freshman go over the barriers and water jumps. It was a seamless fit. In an event that's pretty technical to get there as a true freshman is awesome."
MADISYN EHRLICH
Ehrlich was a late edition after receiving an at-large bid last week. Not enough athletes met the qualifying standards to fill the 20-person field, so Hiser submitted her name to the NAIA for consideration and she was chosen.
She won the 1,500 at the Spire Distance Carnival on March 15 in a time of 4:41.11 and enters the national championships ranked 18th.
Ehrlich was a two-time indoor All-American placing 11th in the 1,000 meters and was a member of the distance medley relay that took seventh. She also qualified for the NAIA cross country meet in the fall.
"She's had just a huge sophomore year, the leap she's made has been immense," Hiser said. "She wasn't expected to be in the field but now it's 'let's just go make the most of it.'
"They take 12 to the finals so you put yourself in the race and see what happens. She was an All-American indoors, so she has that championship level experience."