Ashland's Ryan Lougheny Wins D-II Championship in Hammer Throw

Release courtesy of the Ashland University Sports Information Deparment

TURLOCK, Calif. - Thanks to the first place finish of junior Ryan Loughney (Grahamsville, N.Y./Tri-Valley) in the hammer throw, the AU men's track and field team was on top of the standings on Thursday (May 26) after the first day of competition at the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships in Turlock, Calif.

AU finished the first day with 16 points.  Abilene Christian is second with 15 points and Adams State moved into third place with 14 points.  Three of 21 events were completed on Thursday.

Abilene Christian has won 18 of the past 29 national titles on the men's side.  Ashland has 10 men and seven women competing at this year's championship event, which is being hosted by Cal State Stanislaus.

In the women's long jump on Thursday, AU junior Cheryl Bourne (New Straitsville, Ohio/Miller) finished 10th.  In the heptathlon, AU senior Abby Kacsandi (Wooster, Ohio) was second.  Four of seven events had been completed in the heptathlon.  Kacsandi had 3,212 points and trailed only Lindsay Lattow of Central Missouri, who had 3,414 points. The heptathlon concludes on Friday (May 27).

The NCAA championships run through Saturday (May 28).