2022 NCAA DIII Discus Results |
2022 CoSIDA All-District Teams
GENEVA, Ohio (May 26, 2022) - UW-Stout's
Kevin Ruechel earned his fifth All-America medal at the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship, but this time it wasn't in the shot put.
Ruechel, the defending outdoor national shot put champion, medaled for the first time in the discus, placing third in the event Thursday at Spire Institute near Cleveland.
After fouling on his first attempt, Ruechel marked his best toss of the day on his second attempt, throwing the plate 177-feet (53.96m). Ruechel fouled on his third attempt and his first attempt in the finals round. He marked a 166-4 (50.71m) on his fifth attempt and his sixth attempt of 176-9 (53.87m) was just short of his best mark of the day. Steven Hermsen of Carroll University, the defending discus champion, won the event with a mark of 180-2. Bethel University's Gabe Irons was second (179-1). The WIAC was well represented on the victory podium. UW-Stevens Point's Blake Orr was fourth, UW-Eau Claire's Yakob Ekoue was fifth and Uw-Platteville's Alex Girard was sixth.
The day marked the fourth time Ruechel had competed at the national meet in the discus and was the first time he found his way to the championship podium in the event. As a freshman in 2018, Ruechel placed 13th. He finished 18th in 2019 and 11th in 2021. There was no 2020 outdoor track and field season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ruechel was also recognized for his work in the classroom Thursday. Ruechel recently graduated from UW-Stout with a degree in mechanical engineering with a grade point average of 3.39 and was named to the 2021‐22 Academic All‐District® Men's Track & Field / Cross Country Team, selected by CoSIDA. A native of Pulaski, Wis., Ruechel will begin work as a project manager for Midwest Manufacturing. It was the first time Ruechel was selected to the academic squad.
The teams recognize the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances in the competition realm and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All‐America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. First‐team Academic All‐District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All‐America® ballot. First‐, second‐ and third‐team Academic All‐America® honorees will be announced in mid‐June. The CoSIDA Academic All‐District® teams include the student‐athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into geographic districts across the United States and Canada. The Division II and III CoSIDA Academic All‐America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA. 2021‐22 Academic All‐District® Men's Track & Field / Cross Country Team.2021‐22 Academic All‐District® Men's Track & Field / Cross Country Team.
