Jefferson's Skinner, Conneaut's McBride to close out college track careers this week
May 22—Staff Report
A pair of Ashtabula County track athletes will end their collegiate track careers in the national tournament.
In Division II, Ashland University senior and Jefferson graduate TJ Skinner is scheduled to run in the men's 100-meter hurdles.
He is ranked 19th with a time of 14.00 achieved at the Jesse Owens Track & Field Classic on April 19.
"It feels good to be finishing my career at the national meet," Skinner said. "After getting hurt in the national during the indoor season, I knew I had to work harder to get back and be able to have this opportunity.
"I am looking forward to going out there and giving it my all to make some great things happen. Excited to hit that starting line."
The outdoor championships are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday in Emporia, Kansas.
Skinner won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference men's 110 hurdles in 14.21 seconds earlier this month.
Skinner was also recently announced as a 2024 All-Midwest Region honoree.
Skinner is making his D-II outdoor national meet debut, but ran twice outdoor while at NAIA Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Meanwhile, in D-III, Mount Union senior and Conneaut graduate Matt McBride qualified in the the open 400 and as part of the 4X400 relay team.
McBride qualified individually for the open 400 and is ranked fifth.
The 4X400 relay team of McBride Justin Knoch, Josh Fouche and Haden Gibson have the ninth-fastest time.
"This is the last track meet for me," McBride said. "I just want to go out there and give everything I have one last time."
The D-III Outdoor Track & Field Championships is slated for Thursday through Saturday at the Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
McBride has been part of two 4X400 relay national championships.
In the 400, he has three outdoor All-American outdoor trophies by placing sixth in 2021, fourth in 2022 and second in 2023.
In Division I, Cam Landis qualified for the West Preliminary Round in the shot put.
Landis, who resides in Madison, is ranked 44th in the shot for North Dakota State.
He is scheduled to compete tonight in Fayetville, Arkansas.
Landis enters the national tournament with a mark of 58-6 during the Summit League Outdoor Championships on May 9.
