Eight Vikings head to NCAA Championships

Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø athletes from four teams will contend for national championships this month at competitions around the country.

The Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø men's track & field team will be represented in three events at the NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships March 8-9 in Boston, Mass. This is 2006 graduate Jake Shaver¡¯s first national competition as the head coach of his alma mater.

Michael Johnson ¡¯19 from Owensboro, Ky., will run the 60 meter dash. Joining him will be Cody Wheeler ¡¯19 from East Moline, Ill., competing in the weight throw, and Ryan Thornton ¡¯21 from Mapleton, Ill., in the high jump. (Update: Thornton placed fourth in the high jump; Johnson 19th in the 60; and Wheeler 14th in the weight throw.)

Three members of the women's track & field team also will travel to Boston for the NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships. Hannah Willhite ¡¯20 from Rock Island, Ill., will run the 60 meter and 200 meter dash. Katie Eastburn ¡¯20 from Geneseo, Ill., will join Willhite in the 200 meter, in addition to the 400 meter dash. Mackenzie Butcher ¡¯19 from Colorado Springs, Colo., will represent the Blue & Gold in the pole vault. (Update: Eastburn placed fourth in the nation in both the 200 and 400; Willhite 10th in the 200 and 15th in the 60; and Butcher 18th in the pole vault.)

Wrestler Adarios Jones '20 from Moline, Ill., finished third in the nation in the 285-pound competition in 2017. He¡¯s looking for the title this year when he takes his 24-0 record to the NCAA DIII Wrestling Championships March 8-9 in Roanoke, Va. (Update: Jones took second in the nation.)

On March 21-23, Jared Ekberg ¡¯19, from Rockford, Ill., will compete in three events at the NCAA DIII Swimming Championships in Greensboro, N.C. A school record-holder in five individual events and as part of four relays, Ekberg will swim the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle at the national meet.