SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Alejandro Sanchez became the first Southwest Minnesota State University track athlete to win an individual outdoor conference championship at the Division II level, during day two of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/US Bank Championships on Saturday at the Lillibridge Complex.
 
Sanchez won the 800 meters with a time of 1:53.54, finishing ahead of Minnesota State's Victor Brown, who recorded a time of 1:54.79.
 
The Southwest Minnesota State men's team finished with 29 points to finish 11th at the championship, with Minnesota State winning the title with 202.5 points. The SMSU women's team recorded two points and finished 14th overall. The University of Mary captured the women's team title with 162 points.
 
Sanchez is the first SMSU athlete to earn a conference outdoor championship since Doug Wallace won the steeplechase during the 1992 season when SMSU was a member of NAIA.
 
Will Hanson joined Sanchez in earning All-NSIC honors on Saturday as he placed third in the javelin with a school record toss of 59.98m.
 
SMSU's 4x400 relay team, consisting of Austin LaFollette, Chris Kveseth, Dallin Finley and Alejandro Sanchez also had a strong day setting a school record of 3:19.55 to finish in fourth place.
 
The 4x100 relay team of Michael Rivera, Finley, Ben Ryan and Hanson also finished in fourth place crossing the finish line at 41.91.
 
LaFollette set a personal best in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.18 to finish in sixth place.
 
Ewert Jansen van Rensburg ran in the finals of the 1500 meters and finished 11th with a time of 4:24.47.
 
For the women's team, Kim Shabino finished eighth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.30 and also finished ninth in the 200 meters with a time of 25.35.
 
Eisha Oden also ran in the finals and recorded a ninth place time in the 400 meters at 57.88.
 
SMSU's 4x100 relay team of Alycia Hohenstein, Shabino, Samantha McNeel and Oden had a strong run to place eighth with a time of 48.63.
 
The top three place winners in each event and the members of the top two relay teams earned All-NSIC accolades.