Wednesday, June 8
Eugene, Oregon
8:40 p.m.
University of Northern Iowa
at
NCAA Championships - men's shot put (Darius King)
UNI track and field: King takes 5th at NCAAs, the best of any Panther since 2009
6/8/2022 10:33:00 PM | Track and Field
UNI track and field at NCAA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. - Darius King earned his fourth all-America honor with a fifth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships.
King secured a spot in the finals and his place with the first toss of the night, throwing 20.04 meters (65 feet, 9 inches).
King is the first Panther to earn Division I first team all-America honors in shot put. UNI did have multiple Panthers earn Division II honors, including Mike McCready, who won in 1971. Justin Baker competed in shot put in 2015, taking 20th. Justin Romero was 19th in shot put in 2012.
He entered the NCAA Championships with the fifth best mark in the country in shot put with a throw of 20.33 meters (66 feet, 8.5 inches).
King holds UNI's indoor and outdoor school records in the shot put. He has broken his own record twice this year after setting the original mark in the 2021 outdoor season. He closed out the 2022 West Preliminary Rounds with the current record of 20.33 meters.
This was his third outdoor appearance at the NCAA Championships. He was 10th at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in shot put and took seventh at the outdoor 2021 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
King narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the discus. He finished 13th with a throw of 54.83 meters (179-10). His personal best in the event is 57.09 meters (187-4).
UNI track and field sent its most competitors to the NCAA Championships since 2016 with King in shot put and Tom Yezek in discus Friday.
King at NCAA competitions
Tom Yezek will compete at 7:35 p.m. CT Friday. He is No. 32 in the nation in discus. His throw of 58.21 meters (191-0) is third on UNI's all-time list for best discus throws in program history.
This is his first appearance at the NCAA championships. He competed in the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017.
At the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, he was second in discus to teammate King.
Yezek by year
UNI's top marks in discus
1. Brent Geringer 199-6 (60.81m) 1979
2. Jordan Williams 193-5 (58.95m) 2013
3. Tom Yezek 191-0 (58.21m) 2022
4. Isaac Holtz 190-8 (58.12m) 2017
5. Matt Haven 187-10 (57.26m) 1984
Matt Schiffer 187-10 2014
Yezek is a graduate student from Northwood, Iowa.
UNI NCAA HISTORY (RECENT)
- Hayward Field | Eugene, Oregon
- June 8-11, 2002
EUGENE, Ore. - Darius King earned his fourth all-America honor with a fifth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships.
King secured a spot in the finals and his place with the first toss of the night, throwing 20.04 meters (65 feet, 9 inches).
King is the first Panther to earn Division I first team all-America honors in shot put. UNI did have multiple Panthers earn Division II honors, including Mike McCready, who won in 1971. Justin Baker competed in shot put in 2015, taking 20th. Justin Romero was 19th in shot put in 2012.
He entered the NCAA Championships with the fifth best mark in the country in shot put with a throw of 20.33 meters (66 feet, 8.5 inches).
King holds UNI's indoor and outdoor school records in the shot put. He has broken his own record twice this year after setting the original mark in the 2021 outdoor season. He closed out the 2022 West Preliminary Rounds with the current record of 20.33 meters.
This was his third outdoor appearance at the NCAA Championships. He was 10th at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in shot put and took seventh at the outdoor 2021 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
King narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the discus. He finished 13th with a throw of 54.83 meters (179-10). His personal best in the event is 57.09 meters (187-4).
UNI track and field sent its most competitors to the NCAA Championships since 2016 with King in shot put and Tom Yezek in discus Friday.
King at NCAA competitions
- 2022 outdoor: 1st team AA (5th place - 20.04 meters)
- 2022 indoor: 2nd team AA (10th place - 19.58 meters)
- 2021 outdoor: 1st team AA (7th place - 19.69 meters)
- 2021 indoor: 2nd team AA (12th place - 18.69 meters)
- 2020 outdoor: canceled
- 2020 indoor: qualified as No.14 seed when championships canceled
- 2019 outdoor: 23rd place
- 2019 indoor: did not qualify
- 2018 outdoor: 23rd at West Prelims
- 2018 indoor: did not qualify
UP NEXT
Tom Yezek will compete at 7:35 p.m. CT Friday. He is No. 32 in the nation in discus. His throw of 58.21 meters (191-0) is third on UNI's all-time list for best discus throws in program history. This is his first appearance at the NCAA championships. He competed in the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017.
At the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, he was second in discus to teammate King.
Yezek by year
- 2022 outdoor: MVC - 2nd discus / 3rd shot put
- 2021 outdoor: MVC champion in discus (55.76 meters) | 55.42 m at Prelims
- 2021 indoor: competed unattached
- 2020 indoor: MVC - 2nd shot put
- 2018 outdoor: competed in shot and disc at West Prelims
- 2018 indoor: competed in shot put at MVC Championships
- 2017 outdoor: competed in discus at West Prelims
UNI's top marks in discus
1. Brent Geringer 199-6 (60.81m) 1979
2. Jordan Williams 193-5 (58.95m) 2013
3. Tom Yezek 191-0 (58.21m) 2022
4. Isaac Holtz 190-8 (58.12m) 2017
5. Matt Haven 187-10 (57.26m) 1984
Matt Schiffer 187-10 2014
Yezek is a graduate student from Northwood, Iowa.
UNI NCAA HISTORY (RECENT)
- 2022 - Darius King - 5th (shot put)
- 2021 - Darius King - 7th (shot put)
- 2020 - canceled
- 2019 - Darius King - 23rd (shot put)
- 2018 - Jacob Smith - 6th (400 hurdles)
- 2017 - Brandon Carnes - 13th (100m)
- 2016 - Paige Knodle - 8th (heptathlon)
- Justin Baker - 15th (hammer)
- Brandon Carnes 18th (100m)
- 2015 - Justin Baker (shot put)
- Brandon Carnes (200)
- 2014 - Paige Knodle - 4th (heptathlon)
- 2013 - Jordan Williams - 12th (discus)
- Paige Knodle - 17th (heptathlon)
- Daniel Gooris - 12th (decathlon)
- 2012 - Olimpia Nowak 12th (heptathlon)
- Daniel Gooris - 10th (decathlon) / 22nd (pole vault)
- Jordan Williams - 14th (discus)
- Justin Romero - 19th (shot put)
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and FieldUNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 3)
Wednesday, September 10
Panther soccer scores second straight shutout against St. Ambrose
Saturday, September 06
UNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 2)
Wednesday, September 03
UNI soccer score five in Senior Day shutout of Viterbo
Tuesday, September 02