By: Erin Madden

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Baldwin Wallace University senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC thrower Brooke Buckhannon (Collins/Western Reserve) and freshman All-OAC distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore) competed at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by North Carolina A&T State University and the Greensboro Sports Foundation at the Irwin Belk Track. 

Buckhannon finished 15th in the hammer throw with a mark of 161 feet, 9 inches. She had a season-best and career-best toss of 182 feet, 10 inches, at the Harrison Dillard Twilight meet, which was the fourth-longest throw in NCAA Division III to send her to the national meet. This outdoor season, Buckhannon earned her third career U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Great Lakes Region honor in the hammer throw and also won her second OAC title in the event. This was her third time qualifying to the national meet and her second appearance overall. Buckhannon placed 12th in the hammer throw at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Murphy finished 11th in the 1,500-meter run in a time of 4:42.13 after coming into the meet seeded 19th in the event, the last qualifier. She qualified to the finals by finishing third in her heat of the 1,500-meter preliminaries on Thursday in a career-best time of 4:36.84. This outdoor season, Murphy won the 800-meter run title at the OAC Championships and also received USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Region honors in the 800.