Frostburg State Track and Field Shows Strong Late-Season Form

The Frostburg State University’s (FSU) men’s and women’s track and field teams are making the most of their last few meets of the 2017 outdoor season.

On Apr. 27, 2017 the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) released its official all-conference awards based on the previous weekend’s 2017 CAC Championships. The FSU men’s track and field team received seven 2017 All-CAC awards, and the women’s team received eleven. Bobcat junior sprinter Kayla Truesdel received the prestigious honor of CAC Outdoor Athlete of the Year.

For the FSU men, senior J.R. Lowery was awarded two First Team All-CAC awards for winning both the shot put and hammer throw at the 2017 championships. Lowry also won both events in 2016, and has now been honored with 11 All-CAC awards in his distinguished collegiate throwing career.

In addition to Lowery, freshmen James Naill was named Second Team All-CAC in the javelin throw for the Frostburg men’s only other individual award. The FSU men’s 4 x 100m relay team of junior Malik Harris, freshman Devante Mills, freshman Kevin McCarthy, and sophomore Shamar Nelson also received Second Team All-CAC distinction.

On the women’s side, Truesdel let the Bobcats with two individual First Team awards and two Second Team awards as a member of relay teams. The junior sprinter was named First Team All-CAC for the 100m dash and the 200m dash.

The FSU women’s only other individual all-conference award went to junior Zoe Harris, who was named First Team All-CAC in the javelin throw for the second consecutive year.

In addition to the three First Team awards, both Bobcat women’s relay teams won Second Team All-CAC distinction. The 4 x 100m team was comprised of Truesdel, freshman Kenzi Smith, freshman Keileen Estrada and junior Destiny Logan. The 4 x 400m relay team included Truesdel, Estrada, Logan, and freshman Michala Garrison.

On Apr. 28-29, Lowery competed at the 2017 Penn Relays, this year’s installment of one of America’s most historic and esteemed collegiate athletic competitions. On Apr. 28, Lowery put on one of the greatest individual performances in the history of Frostburg State athletics.  In the shot put, Lowery technically finished second with a throw of 18.05 meters, breaking both the FSU school record and the CAC outdoor record. However, had it not been for a tiebreaker, Lowery would have finished first in the event. His longest throw was the furthest in NCAA Division III competition this season, and beat 35 competitors from Division I schools.

The FSU track and field team has filled its trophy case and its record books during the 2017 outdoor season, and its top athletes will look to continue that trend at the 2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships on May 17-18.