Results
Malone University senior
Duke Taylor earned NCAA Division II All-America recognition on Thursday evening after placing eighth in the weight throw competition at the DII Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Birmingham, Alabama
Taylor, who was recently named the 2017 Great Midwest Athletic Conference's Men's Field Athlete of the Year, launched a heave of 18.84 meters (61' 9.75") which marked the third-best weight-throw performance of his career. The impressive toss fell less than a foot short of his Malone and Great Midwest Athletic Conference record in the event (established earlier this season at 62' 7.75").
He is the first NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field All-American in Pioneer history. In addition, Taylor is also the first male student-athlete from the G-MAC to earn the NCAA DII All-American distinction in Indoor Track & Field.
Taylor entered the National Championship Meet seeded 14th among the 16 competitors, but was one of nine student-athletes to advance to the event finals after posting a preliminary toss of 61' 6.25". His third and final attempt in the final round then proved to be his best throw of the day.
An Outdoor Track & Field All-American in the discus last May, Taylor joins former Malone distance runner
Ryan Roush as the only two-time Division II All-Americans in Pioneer history
Overall, Malone Athletes have now garnered
11 All-America Awards since the Pioneer Athletic Department became a full NCAA Division II member during the summer of 2013.