Sommers Leaps to Second Career All-American Honor
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Sammy Sommers hauled in Taylor's first All-American honor at the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships with a sixth-place finish in the long jump.
The accomplishment was the second All-American award of Sommers' career, after also doing so during the 2022 Outdoor Nationals. Sommers set himself up for the honor with a leap of 7.27 meters on his first jump of the event and the score held up throughout.
Jake Thompson also competed in the long jump with Sommers and took 12th overall with a distance of 7.02 meters.
Liam Hesting and Nate Conkel were also in action for the Trojans on Friday, as Hesting took 15th in the weight throw at 17.08 meters and Conkel advanced to Saturday's finals in the 800-meters.
Conkel ran his third-fastest time of the season in the race, crossing at 1:53.94 and within a second of the fastest preliminary time to clinch a spot in the 3:15 pm finals on Saturday.
Conkel will be one of five Trojans set to compete on Saturday, with Damon Knowles, Isaac Brown and Josh Forbes competing in the pole vault, Luke Harber racing in the 5,000-meters finals and Conkel racing in the 800-meters finals.
The action will begin for TU at 2:15 pm for the pole vault, with Conkel following at 3:15 pm and Harber wrapping things at 5:00 pm.