Day 1 Results: Pole Vault | 4x100-Meter Relay Prelims

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two Saint John's University pole vaulters earned All-America honors at the first day of the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday, May 27, in Greensboro, N.C.

Junior Shawn Schindler (Maple Grove, Minn.) finished fourth with a personal-best height of 4.90 meters and senior Drew Dockendorf (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Holdingford) followed in sixth (4.85 meters). The vaulters entered the national meet tied for first in the region and 13th nationally in the event (4.86 meters).

The duo joins SJU's only other outdoor All-American (top eight individually) in the event, Brayden Wagner '09 from 2009 (eighth).

Dockendorf received All-America honors for the 2020 indoor season after the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) bestowed the distinction to all national qualifiers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Johnnies' the 4x100-meter relay team - junior Jack Young (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori), sophomore Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park), senior Brady Labine (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) and senior Ryan Miller (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace) - meanwhile, advanced to Saturday's 11:15 a.m. CDT final with a third-place finish in Thursday's prelim. 

SJU placed third overall, second in the second heat, with a season-best time of 40.85 seconds. The time is 0.07 of a second ahead of its 2019 Division III-title time (40.92) and 0.07 slower than its best time from that season (40.78 at the 2019 Wisconsin-La Crosse Qualifier).

Three Johnnies will compete in three events Friday, May 30, at the Irwin Belk Track Complex. Sophomore Maguire Petersen (Hutchinson, Minn.) competes in two events back-to-back, the high jump at 1:30 p.m. CDT and the javelin at 3:45 p.m. CDT. Arthur and Miller return to the track for the 100-meter dash prelims at 2:45 p.m. CDT.