Track and field athletes chalk up major honors

T'Aira Boyance’23 finished 15th in the NCAA D-III Outdoor Nationals.Overall, the men’s team finished fourth and the women finished fifth. First-year hurdlerNate Otis’26won two of his events and was named the Midwest Conference Men’s Track Newcomer of the Year.

Just days before graduating,T’Aira Boyance’23won all four of her events, including two relays with Jordyn McDonald’23, Alayna Furch’24, and Hannah Welte’24 in one, and McDonald, Furch, and Candis Damste’24 in the other. Also an accomplished basketball player, Boyance was named Midwest Conference Women’s Track Performer of the Year and set a new school record. Her performance at the MWC championships qualified her for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Nationals in the 400 meters, where she finished 15th.

After the conference dust settled, one student from each team was selected for the Academic All-District Team for their hard work on and off the track. The honor requires at least a sophomore standing and a 3.5 GPA. Representing the Bucs are newly minted graduate Brandon Joly’23 and Candis Damste’24.