Renner Qualifies for NCAA Championships in Shot Put

Saturday, May 28

Lawrence, Kan.

9 a.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

NCAA West Preliminary Rounds - Day Three

Photo by: Jon Robichaud

Renner Qualifies for NCAA Championships in Shot Put

5/28/2016 6:49:00 PM | Men's Track and Field

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NCAA West Prelims Info
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Two centimeters.

That was the distance that kept North Dakota State junior thrower Alex Renner from qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put one year ago. He placed 14th at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds last season, with the top 12 advancing to the NCAA finals in Oregon.

On Saturday, he made it perfectly clear that he would not come up short again.

Renner posted a throw of 61-08.25 (18.80m) to finish eighth in the shot put at the NCAA West Prelims and qualify comfortably for the NCAA Championships in Oregon.

"Last year, at the time I thought my throw would be enough to qualify," Renner said. "It was a really good third round that year, and I got passed up and missed it by two centimeters. That's been a pretty big motivational factor for me. "

His fate was never really in doubt on Saturday, with all three of his throws surpassing 60 feet, 8 inches. Renner was ranked 10th in the West Region entering the meet.

Renner said qualifying for the NCAA Championships was not so much a goal as it was a product of his mindset. He went back to work immediately after last season, building his upper body strength and working relentlessly with Bison throws coach Justin St. Clair.

"Sometimes with goals – I don't really like to put a limit on things," he said. "I just try to work hard every day and trust my coach. I know that if I do those two things, it's going to lead me to good places."

Renner will be joined by NDSU junior Matti Mortimore (javelin) on Wednesday, June 8, at the NCAA Championships at historic Hayward Field. He'll be looking to add another chapter to his legacy as the top shot putter in NDSU history.

"Out of high school, I wasn't a top guy in the nation by any means," Renner said before pausing to consider his journey. "Our coaching is just so good. What I've learned in Division I track is, it doesn't matter where you are if you have a good coach and a good program. It's fun going to these big meets and wearing a North Dakota State uniform and being able to compete with the best schools in the country."

Saturday Results

NDSU had five men competing in the shot put at the NCAA Prelims – the most in the country. Junior Conrad Schwarzkopf was the top finisher behind Renner, taking 26th place with a mark of 58-05.25 (17.81m). Sophomore Payton Otterdahl placed 36th with a throw of 56-03.75 (17.16m). Senior Brandt Berghuis took 38th, and sophomore Steffan Stroh was 40th.

Bison senior Jerome Begin closed out his career with a 20th-place finish in the 110m hurdles, clocking the second-fastest time of his career at 14.01 seconds. Begin set the NDSU school record in the event at 13.78 as the runner-up at the Summit League Championships on May 14.

Senior Parker McKittrick placed 40th in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.56 seconds.

Stroh finished 42nd in the discus, while Otterdahl fouled on all three of his attempts.