WAYNE, NEB. – Valley City State sophomore Kendra Odegard qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, and the Vikings had four Top 2 finishes during this weekend's season opening track meet in Nebraska.  
 
Odegard recorded a top throw of 41.58 meters on Friday, winning the women's javelin competition at the Wayne State College Wildcat Classic. Odegard was in second place until unleashing her throw of 41.58 meters (136 feet, 5 inches) on her final attempt of the day.
 
That mark also hits the NAIA "A" standard to qualify Odegard for the national championship meet, May 24-26 in Marion, Ind. She is currently ranked 7^th in the nation with that mark of 41.58 meters. Odegard also qualified for nationals in the javelin last season, placing 14^th at the NAIA meet.
 
VCSU senior Taylor Sargent also picked up an individual meet title on Saturday, racing to a victory in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Sargent clocked a personal best time of 15.25 seconds (lowering her own school record) to take first place among a field of 20 athletes. She also added two other Top 8 finishes, placing sixth in high jump (1.45 meters) and eighth in long jump (4.79 meters).
 
On the men's side, Jaiden Peraza and Clay Kummer both turned in second-place performances on Saturday. Peraza finished second in the high jump, clearing 2.00 meters. He cleared the same height as the meet champion but finished second based on tiebreaker criteria.
 
Kummer placed second in his first 400-meter hurdle race of the season. He clocked a time of 56.97 seconds to place second out of 17 competitors. He also finished seventh in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 15.65 seconds. Jalen Strickland added a fifth-place finish in the triple jump with his top mark of 12.29 meters.
 
The season-opening meet held Friday and Saturday was a rather large meet with many events having more than 30 or 40 competitors. VCSU had about 30 athletes compete at the meet.
 
Up next: Valley City State will send some athletes to the University of South Dakota meet on April 7-8. The entire team is next scheduled to compete April 14 in Dickinson.
 
Wayne State College Wildcat Classic
Wayne, Neb. – March 24-25
VCSU Top 8 Finishers
Women
Javelin: 1. Kendra Odegard, 41.58 meters (136-05)
Long Jump: 8. Taylor Sargent, 4.79 meters (15-8.75)
High Jump: 6. Taylor Sargent, 1.45 meters (4-09)
100 Hurdles: 1. Taylor Sargent, 15.25 seconds
 
Men
Triple Jump: 5. Jalen Strickland, 12.29 meters (40-04)
High Jump: 2. Jaiden Peraza, 2.00 meters (6-6.75)
110 Hurdles: 7. Clay Kummer, 15.65 seconds
400 Hurdles: 2. Clay Kummer, 56.97 seconds