This year's NCAA track and field championships produced Ball State's fourth All-American for men's track and field in school history while just barely missing the school's fifth in women's track and field.
Paul Panning competed in the pole vault championship preliminaries Wednesday and placed fourth to advance to the finals. There, he cleared a height of 5.15 meters. He also tied with three other juniors to make the cutoff mark for All-American status, which requires at least an eight place finish.
Panning became the fourth All-American in Ball State history while giving the school its fifth season with an All-American, fourth consecutive. Zack Riley was an All-American in the hammer throw event for two straight seasons.
Patricia Soman, who competed in two events in the championships, missed making the finals in the triple jump, but qualified for the long jump. She barely missed taking an eighth place finish in the event, which would have given her All-American status. She was an inch and a half short of the mark.
In 2002, Soman also took ninth place to barely miss the cut. She competed in the triple jump. Being an All-American in 2003 would have given Ball State its fifth All-American in women's track while being its seventh overall season with an All-American.
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