Wright And Folkestad Qualify For NCAA National Outdoor Meet

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/23/22)---All-Americans Cal Wright (Sr., Mora, Minn.) and Cooper Folkestad (So., Wadena, Minn.) have officially qualified for the Division III NCAA National Outdoor Meet.

The national meet selections were finalized on Monday, and Wright and Folkestad have earned a spot in their second consecutive NCAA National Meet. Both student-athletes qualified for the NCAA National Indoor Meet in March where they both earned All-American honors.

For each men's individual event contested, including the decathlon, the top 20 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 16 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted into the competition.

The NCAA Division III Outdoor Meet will be on May 26-28 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio with Mount Union serving as the hosts.

Wright continued his record-breaking senior season by continuing to better the school mark in the 400 meters. He set the Cobber school record in the event during the season, and then topped that during the finals of the MIAC Championship Meet when he clocked a 47.68 and won the event. Wright then bettered that time at the Wis.-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier Meet with a time of 47.56.

Wright earned All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Meet by finishing fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 48.99.

Wright is seeded No.13 in the 400 heading into the national meet. He will compete in the prelims of the 400 meters on Friday, May 27 at 3:15 p.m.

Folkestad qualified for outdoor nationals in the same event he earned All-American honors at the national indoor meet. He finished sixth in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Meet with a distance of 52-07.25.

Folkestad's qualifying mark for the NCAA Outdoor National Meet came at the end of April at the SJU Last Minute Invite where he posted a mark of 53-04.25.

Folkestad went on to win the MIAC Championship in the shot put when he came through with a distance of 51-09.75.

Folkestad is seeded No.12 in the shot put heading into nationals. He will compete at the national outdoor meet on Friday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the prelims of the shot put. The finals of the event will follow on the same day.