Journal staff

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Black Hills State University sophomore Eric Flores was unable to defend his hammer throw national title on Day 1 of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, but he made up for it on Friday taking the discus title.

Flores bettered the field by 4 feet, 1/4 inch with his throw of 58-4 1/4 inches to better second place Scott VanCura of Hastings.

"It was amazing because he was third going into this final throw and got bumped to fourth," said BHSU head coach Scott Walkinshaw. "I honestly believe that by him not winning the hammer, his specialty, it gave him a little more motivation for today."

Former Douglas High School standout Shannon Hellman followed with her second consecutive national title in the 100-meter hurdles.

Hellman defended her title by running to the tape in 14.12 - more than two tenths of a second faster than the runner-up. The win completed a season-long domination of the event for Hellman.

Flores had the third best throw in the discus in the nation coming into nationals.

Aubrey Baxter won the women's hammer throw with a record-breaking throw of 198-9 on the first day of competition. She came back to finish third in the discus with a throw of

169-2, which was a personal record by 11 feet while Amber Brodersen ended up ninth.

The BHSU 4-by-400 relay team qualified second in its heat and will run in the finals today. Nicki Shinkle, Ashlee Della Silva, Kayla Ferguson and Hellman put up a time of 3:54.78.

"It has been a really good meet so far," Walkinshaw said. "You bring 13 athletes to the meet and you hope for 13 satisfied athletes, and for the most part that has happened."

South Dakota School of Mines senior hurdler Tyler Flattum saw his collegian season come to a close Friday after running in his final 110-meter hurdle race.

Flattum, an Industrial Engineering major from Bristol, advanced his way to the semifinals Friday and ended with a time of 14.72 seconds. That time was not fast enough to advance him to the finals.

"Tyler ran well and he was in the fast heat," said Hardrocker assistant track coach Beth Honaker. "His time was the third fastest for him this season. Tyler is a little upset, but he did what he was supposed to do in the race."

The Hardrockers' other national entrant, Chandler Caldwell, is scheduled to compete in the pole vault today at noon.