by Birmingham, Ala.—Katie Taylor (Ojibwe) claimed the NCAA National Championship in the weight throw, a first in that event for the Minnesota State Women’s Track & Field program, on day one of the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. With teammate Brea Perron finishing fourth in the weight throw, earning five team points to go along with Taylor’s 10, the Mavericks have a total of 15 team points after the first day of competition which has them in first place with Saginaw Valley in second with 10 team points.
Taylor, a senior from Hayward, Wis., progressed out of the first flight of throws with a top mark of 19.91m (65’4″) surpassing her already school record throw of 64’6″. In the final flight of throwing, Taylor threw a first round 20.44m (67’0.75″) which would have been good enough to win the championship, if not for her final throw of 21.17m (69’5.5″). That final throw sets the Minnesota State Indoor track & field record while also currently ranking as the ninth best throw in DII history.
Taylor becomes the first Maverick to win a National Championship in the Indoor weight throw event, and the first Minnesota State women’s track & field member to win a National Championship since Khadiya Hollingsworth won the title in the outdoor high jump in 2018. Taylor also becomes the eight member of the Minnesota State Women’s Indoor Track & Field program to win a National Championship with this being the 12 title for the program overall including outdoor.
