Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.It takes just one turn in the ring to make Gabe Wickham the NAIA leader in the weight throw.
The Hastings College senior heads a parade of Broncos in the event with a heave of 69 feet, 5¼ inches. Teammate Cody Weber is second at 63-4¼. Wickham's older brother Garrett recently slipped from third to fourth at 61-9½.
Gabe Wickham's throw is unique, coach Kendrick Clay says. Most athletes need two or usually three turns to go that distance with the 35-pound implement.
Wickham has tried two turns, but does his best with one. He beat several Division I competitors in winning the event at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational earlier this month with a throw of 66-9¼.
"It speaks to his athleticism," Clay said. "He's really developed. This year, he's just taken off. He's improved a ton."
Wickham, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior from Phillipsburg, Kan., came to Hastings as a hurdler. Garrett, who went to junior college for one year, was a long jumper before their aptitude in the ring was spotted by Hastings assistant Zac Osgood.
Last winter, Gabe Wickham became the third Bronco in four years to win the NAIA title in the event. He's improved about four feet since then and twice has been named the NAIA field athlete of the week.
Clay said his improvement is because of a lot of repetitions, plyometrics, short sprint work and a lot of time in the weight room. That and the magic of Osgood, who has coached a slew of All-Americans — he's had 37 All-Americans in the throwing events in eight years.
"He's an extremely talented and relatively young assistant coach," Clay said of Osgood. "He has that gift and knows how to maximize kids' potential."
The Wickhams will show off their talent this weekend in the GPAC championships. The pentathlon and heptathlon start Friday at Concordia University with the rest of the events Saturday at the Devaney Center.
Clay said the Broncos have a chance to take three of the top four spots in Saturday's weight throw. Doane's Zack Lindsley also will be in the mix.
"If they just match what they've done, they should go 1-2-3 in the weight throw at the conference meet," Clay said. "Nationally, the same thing."
Dinan stealing show for Wesleyan squad
Nebraska Wesleyan point guard Nick Dinan has made things tough for opponents for 101 straight games. He's started in 84 of them.
The 6-foot senior from Omaha Gross is scoring 7.8 points a game, but his forte is steals. He ranks third in the GPAC with 2.21 per game this season. He's second on Wesleyan's career list with 175 steals.
Wesleyan coach Cam Schuknecht said Dinan has great quickness and anticipation that has worked well in Wesleyan's defensive scheme.
"He's been just a strong force within our program for four years," Schuknecht said, "and has been a contributor in a lot of ways as far as his work ethic and leadership."
Updates
• South Dakota State junior lineman Andy Mink earned the Doug Miller Award as the team's defensive MVP. Mink led the Jackrabbits with six sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. The Greenwood, Neb., native also had two forced fumbles and ranked second in total tackles with 75.
Senior punter Jason Schlautman claimed the Adam Vinatieri Award as special teams MVP. A senior from Columbus, Neb., who was a transfer from UNO, Schlautman was the lone player from SDSU to earn first-team all-conference recognition. Schlautman led the league with an average of 42.2 yards per punt, recording 14 punts of 50 or more yards with a season long of 63 yards.
• Omaha Creighton Prep graduate Joseph "Henry" Kelly is competing for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and has qualified for the All-New England and the Eastern College Athletic Conference track championships in the 400, 600 and as part of the 4x400 relay. It's his first season competing indoors.
Kelly also earned a Silver Star in his first semester at the academy, awarded to the top 15 percent and based on academics, leadership and morale.
• Wayne State's Paige Pollard repeated as champion of the Northern Sun pentathlon Sunday, finishing with 3,506 points. The senior from Newcastle, Neb., was first in the 800 (2:14.08), third in the shot put (33-5¾), fourth in the long jump (17-5½), seventh in the 60 hurdles (9.38) and tied for seventh in the high jump (4-9½).
• Chadron State has won five straight games and improves to 10-13 and 10-9 in the RMAC. The Eagles' win streak is their longest since the 1999-2000 team won 12 in a row.
• The Dordt men have claimed the school's first GPAC championship in basketball. The Defenders now have the No. 1 seed in the postseason conference tournament and a spot in the NAIA Division II national tournament.
• Bellevue University, 22-5 and 10-1, has clinched the regular-season Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference title.
• Midland's Mariah Toussaint has qualified for the NAIA nationals in the 200, 400, long jump and high jump. She recently broke the fieldhouse record at Dordt as well as Midland's school record with a long jump of 18-3¾.
• The Midland men's basketball team tied the school record for wins with its 68-65 victory over Dakota State on Saturday. The Warriors, 17-10 and 11-7, travel to No. 16 Briar Cliff at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
• Clare Duwelius has become the all-time 3-point leader at Wayne State, making her 233rd Saturday as the third-ranked Wildcats rallied past Northern State 55-50.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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