SEARCY – Josh Syrotchen, a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division II national runner-up in the discus at Harding, has been accepted to compete in the 2017 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships Saturday in Sacramento, California.

Syrotchen, of Spokane, Washington, is one of only nine collegiate athletes in the field of 18 and the only NCAA Division II competitor. His best mark of the season, 59.53 meters or 195 feet 3 inches, ranks 17th of the 18 entrants.

Mason Finley, a 26-year-old from Kansas City, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 350 pounds, has the top mark in the field at 66.72 meters or 218 feet 10 inches.

The discus competition is scheduled for Saturday at 12:40 p.m. local time in Sacramento. NBC and NBC Sports Network will provide live coverage of national championships Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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PITTSBURG, Kan. – Harding senior Josh Syrotchen broke his own school record in the indoor weight throw at the Crimson and Gold Invitational on Saturday. The indoor track and field meet was hosted by Pittsburg State University inside the Robert W. Plaster Center.

Syrotchen, of Spokane, Washington, placed second in the weight throw with a mark of 59 feet, 9 inches, breaking his old mark of 57-01 set at Emory last season. His mark is also his second straight NCAA provisional of the season. Last week at Arkansas State, he threw 56-06.50. Syrotchen is now ranked 11th in Division II in the event. The top 20 qualify for the national meet at the end of the season.

Syrotchen also placed 15th in the shot put with a throw of 43-02.25.

Harding also had three top-10 finishes in the running events.

Camden Barrett, a sophomore from West Plains, Missouri, placed fifth in the 800 meters in 1 minute, 55.32 seconds. It was his first career 800-meter race, but it was the sixth-fastest 800 meters in program history.

Lucas Goodspeed, a senior from Houston, placed eighth in the 3,000 meters in 8:50.70, and Russell Chase, a senior from Reno, Nevada, was ninth in 8:51.35. The times were career bests for both runners.

Harding’s full team will be in action again on Jan. 21 at the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin.

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BRADENTON, Fla. – Harding junior Josh Syrotchen earned his third outdoor track and field All-America honor in the discus with a second-place finish Friday at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships.

Syrotchen, of Spokane, Washington, improved on each of his first three throws and led with a throw of 181 feet, 10 inches after the preliminaries.

Duke Kicinski, a sophomore from West Texas A&M, threw 189 feet, 4 inches with his fourth throw to take the lead. After fouling on his fourth throw, Syrotchen landed the discus 189 feet, 1 inch on his fifth throw to claim second place. Duke Taylor, a senior from Malone, was third at 179 feet, 6 inches.

Syrotchen placed fourth in the discus in 2014 and 11th last season. His throw Friday was his longest at the three national championships and his third-longest of the season.

Syrotchen joined Te Howard as the only Harding field event competitors to earn three consecutive outdoor All-America awards. Howard was an All-American in the high jump in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Syrotchen remains the only Harding athlete ever to earn All-America honors in the discus.

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