Curtabbi and Smith join seven-time champion Williamson, six-time winner Swoopes and four-time gold medalist Perera; Ibrahim sets meet record in discus, Morris sweeps indoor and outdoor triple jump, with Kryukov earning decathlon title

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

A year ago at the NCAA Division 2 Outdoor Championships, when Cheyenne Williamson, Ushan Perera and Zada Swoopes were all winning national titles, Reece Smith wasn’t quite ready for such an ambitious pace in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and Eleonora Curtabbi endured the most humbling outcome to a steeplechase race in her impressive career.

Perera, Swoopes and Williamson were again crowned champions Friday at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., only this time, they shared the spotlight with Curtabbi and Smith following two of the most impressive last laps in the history of the Division 2 steeplechase finals.

Smith, representing Northwest Missouri, produced a 61.07-second split over the final 400 meters to eclipse the meet record with an 8:33.64 performance.

Smith, who broke the 2014 championship mark of all-time division record holder Tabor Stevens of Adams State, prevailed against another Grizzlies standout and French athlete Clement Duigou (8:42.83).

Smith, who finished fifth last season in 8:56.32, ascended to the No. 4 competitor in Division 2 history, trailing only Stevens, Duigou and Western Colorado’s Kim Hogarth, all of whom have produced sub-8:30 efforts.

Curtabbi, representing Italy, emerged from a pack of four athletes with 600 meters left and found another gear during the final lap, covering the last 400 with a 72.07-second split to triumph in 10:07.77, capturing the first women’s steeplechase crown for West Texas A&M.

Curtabbi improved to the No. 14 all-time competitor in the division, one year after finishing 14th in the championship race in 11:05.87.

Alexa Leppelmeier of Walsh, who placed fifth last year, was runner-up in 10:12.93 to ascend to the No. 19 performer in division history. Stevie Lawrence of Queens in North Carolina, representing England, took third in 10:14.99, moving into the top 25 all-time in the division.

Williamson captured her seventh career national championship with a personal-best 5,757 points in the heptathlon, ascending to the No. 7 competitor in division history.

Williamson became only the second athlete in Division 2, joining Lindsay Lettow of Central Missouri in 2011-12, to win back-to-back championships in the indoor pentathlon and consecutive titles in the outdoor heptathlon.

Nicole Warwick was runner-up with 5,546 points and Alysa Henry finished sixth with 5,202 points, contributing 11 points for Azusa Pacific in the Cougars’ pursuit of back-to-back team titles.

Blakelee Winn took third with 5,403 points and Trace Mosby finished fifth with 5,313 points, helping Pittsburg State become the only team in the division to have a pair of athletes finish in the top five in both the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon championships this year.

Perera, a standout from Sri Lanka representing Texas A&M-Commerce, made it back-to-back high jump crowns and four titles for his career, including two indoors, with a first-attempt clearance at 7-3.25 (2.22m).

Nishorn Pierre of Holy Family in Pennsylvania achieved three personal-best clearances to finish second at 7-2.25 (2.19m).

Swoopes produced a personal-best 186-6 (56.84m) in the fifth round to repeat as discus throw champion and secure her sixth career national title, elevating to the No. 8 competitor in division history.

Grand Valley State had Erika Beistle place second at 162-1 (49.40m) and Emma Richards finish fifth at 159-6 (48.63m) to contribute 12 points for the host Lakers in their quest to capture the team title.

Moaz Ibrahim of Texas A&M-Commerce, representing Qatar, set the meet record in the men’s discus with a personal-best performance 200-10 (61.21m) in the third round.

Ibrahim, the 2016 World Under-20 gold medalist, surpassed the 60-meter mark for the first time since 2017 to ascend to the No. 4 competitor in division history. He eclipsed the 2011 championship record of 199-3 (60.75m) established by Nick Jones of Abilene Christian.

Zach Hancock of Alabama-Huntsville moved up from fifth last year to place second at 189-8 (57.81m).

D’Andra Morris of U Mary, representing Jamaica, completed the sweep of indoor and outdoor triple jump national titles with a sixth-round mark of 42-9.75 (13.05m).

Morris had already triumphed over long jump winner Marie-Jeanne Ourega from Academy of Art and last year’s winner Taylor Nelloms of West Texas A&M entering her final jump, but improved on her lead with the only 13-meter effort in the competition.

Ourega, representing France, was runner-up at 42-4 (12.90m) and Nelloms took third with a 42-2.75 (12.87m) performance.

Elvis Kryukov of Angelo State, representing Cyprus, achieved a personal-best 7,574 points to capture the decathlon title.

It marked the second decathlon championship in the past three finals for Angelo State, including Alex Spyridonidis in 2019.

Johnathon Harper of Texas A&M-Kingsville, the reigning indoor heptathlon champion, became a four-time decathlon All-American by placing runner-up with 7,360 points.