FHSU Sports Information Department
SEWARD, Neb. – Fort Hays State’s Decano Cronin and Brett Meyer turned in an impressive performance on Friday (Feb. 10) at the Concordia Invitational. Running neck-and-neck, both broke the FHSU school record in the 800 meters and automatically punched their ticket to the NCAA Indoor Championships with their first and second place finish in the event.
Cronin crossed the line in 1:50.27 and Meyer crossed in 1:50.44, breaking the 22-year old school record of 1:51.86 set by Chris Smith in 1995. But the times were adjusted on a national basis due to the track size, so Cronin’s time converts to 1:48.72 and Meyer’s to 1:48.89, which vaulted them all the way up the national performance list to second and third. Cronin and Meyer, along with Franklin Pierce’s Dage Minors (the national leader), are the only three runners to post an automatic qualifying mark in the event this year.
Cronin has set ablaze to the FHSU indoor records in his first few weeks of competition with the Tigers. The Iowa Central Community College transfer has now set four school records individually, which also includes the 600 meters (1:19.29), 600 yards (1:11.57), and 1,000 meters (2:27.34). He was also a member of the 4×400 meter relay team to set a school record earlier this season.
The FHSU men claimed two more victories with Dillando Allotey winning the 200 meters and Layton Werth winning the 3,000 meters. Allotey crossed the line in a provisional time of 21.85 seconds, but it was shy of his top mark this season that has him ranked eighth nationally. Werth ran a personal best time of 8:51.44.
Sam Dreiling hit a provisional mark in the pole vault once again, finishing third in the competition. He cleared 15 feet, 11 inches, just a quarter inch shy of his top mark this season that has him 23rd on the national performance list.
The Tigers are scheduled to have split-squad action next week with the Steve Miller Open and Nebraska Tune-Up both scheduled on Friday (Feb. 17).
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