DWU's Abby Magnuson nets NAIA All-American honors at track and field championships
May 24—MARION, Ind. — Abby Magnuson's quest to be an All-American athlete is complete.
The Dakota Wesleyan senior achieved that status with a fifth-place effort in the women's shot put at the NAIA national track and field championships on Thursday, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan. The NAIA awards All-American honors to the top-eight finishers in individual track and field events.
Magnuson, who narrowly missed out on All-American status at the indoor track and field championships, accomplished the feat on her third throw in the finals, reaching a distance of 14.23 meters (46 feet, 8.25 inches). She became the fifth All-American in school history for women's outdoor track and field, and is the first since Kamberlyn Lamer (heptathlon) and Mikaela Stofferahn (shot put) did so in 2019.
In a banner season both indoors and outdoors, Magnuson set the indoor school record in the shot put on Feb. 3 with a throw of 14.97 meters (49-1.5), while achieving the outdoor record with a throw of 14.26 meters (46-9.5) on April 24. She also set her personal record in the discus, throwing at 44.62 meters (146-5) on March 30.
Magnuson also competed in the discus event on Friday, where she finished in 20th with a throw of 42.64 meters (139-11), achieved on her third and final attempt. Taliyah Hayes finished in 23rd in the women's triple jump on Thursday, achieving her best mark on her final attempt at a distance of 11.23 meters (36-10).
