SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— For the first time in nine years, Drury will be represented at the NCAA-II National Track & Field Championships and is sending multiple participants for the first time in program history. Jolie McClellan qualified for the national meet in the javelin; Claire McCune will compete in the 1500-meter run, and Katie McCune will participate in the 800-meter run at the national meet that starts Thursday in Allendale, Michigan.
McClellan reached the national meet with a season’s best throw of 44.86 meters in the javelin. The sophomore from Raymore, Missouri, is Drury’s first-ever national qualifier in the event. McClellan finished fourth at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships on May 5, and had a second-place finish at the Gorilla Classic hosted by Pittsburg State on April 9. She was the GLVC Field Athlete of the Week on March 30 after her national-qualifying throw at the ESU Midwest Classic at Emporia State.
The McCune sisters are Springfield natives and will conclude highly decorated and historic careers at Drury this weekend in the national championships.
Claire McCune will compete in the 1500-meter run and will head to nationals with a season-best time of 4:25.60. She finished second at the GLVC Championships in that event, and she won the 1500 at ESU Midwest Classic at Emporia State. Claire posted two other runner-up finishes in the 1500 at the Central Missouri Rule Relays on April 15, and the Southwest Baptist Invitational on April 2. She qualified for the national meet in the mile at this year’s NCAA-II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The two-time GLVC Champion in cross country, and Drury’s first-ever All-American in cross country, will be competing in her outdoor track & field national championship.
Katie McCune will race for a national championship in the 800-meter run. Katie won the GLVC Championship in the event on May 7, posting a time of 2:07.25. She also took the 800-meter title at the ESU Midwest Classic on April 24 and finished fourth at the Rock Chalk Classic hosted by Kansas University on April 30. Katie became the first runner in program history to place at the Indoor Track & Field National Championships earlier this year when she came in seventh in the 800 in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Claire McCune’s preliminary heat in the 1500 run is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, and Katie McCune will run in a prelim for the 800-meter run on Friday afternoon. The finals for both of those events are on Saturday. Competition for the javelin featuring Jolie McClellan is also on Saturday.
Head coach Lee Wood joined the Drury coaching staff last fall and is in his first season with the Panthers coaching men’s and women’s cross country as well as men’s and women’s track & field.
Links to live updates of the NCAA-II National Championships can be found here.
