Men's Track & Field | 5/26/2017 8:34:00 PM

Bradenton, Fla. – Wingate University junior Nate Patterson (Mauldin, S.C.) earned first team All-American accolades while sophomore Vanisha Wilshire (Louisburg, N.C.) claimed second team All-American honors on Friday at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships (live results; live video).

Patterson earned first team All-American laurels as a result of his seventh place finish in the triple jump. On his fifth jump, Patterson set a new school record with a mark of 15.65 meters. Patterson advanced to the finals after setting a then-school record mark of 15.60 meters on his second jump. Entering the day, Patterson's personal best had been a leap of 15.37 meters at the High Point VertKlasse Meeting. Cervantes Jackson (Bainbridge, Ga.) of Albany State won the event with his mark of 16.30 meters.

"Nate had an outstanding day today!" Wingate head track and field coach Travis LeFlore says. "He went out and competed tremendously, trusted his training and the result was an All-American award for him. I'm extremely proud of him, breaking a new school record was the goal. It was a great day for him."

Wilshire finished in ninth place in the high jump to earn second team All-American recognition as she cleared a height of 1.71 meters. Humboldt State's Marissa McCay (McKinleyville, Calif.) was the winner at 1.77 meters.

"Vanisha had a very solid day, it was going to take a personal best day to earn All-American for her, she competed at a great level and finished as a second team All-American," LeFlore says. "I'm very proud of Vanisha and looking forward to a great day in the triple jump tomorrow."

On the horizon for the Wingate track and field NCAA participants…
 
Saturday, May 27
 
4:45 p.m. – Women's Triple Jump (finals)
Wingate sophomore Vanisha Wilshire (Louisburg, N.C.)
 
Wilshire's best triple jump this year is 12.36 meters, achieved on her home turf at the Wingate Invitational. The top seed for this event is West Texas A&M senior Rellie Kaputin with her mark of 12.98 meters.
 
5:30 p.m. – Men's High Jump (finals)
Wingate sophomore Isaiah Kyle (Morristown, Tenn.)
 
Kyle's top leap this season is 2.13 meters, achieved as he won the South Atlantic Conference men's high jump competition. He is a three-time All-American (in three tries). Grand Valley State University sophomore Hunter Weeks is the top seed with his leap of 2.17 meters.
 
Student-athletes qualified for the championships by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event. The complete list of qualifiers is available at this link.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 11 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University graduate Steven Grandy contributed this article. The class of 2012 alum and Raleigh, N.C. native majored in Sport Management during his WU student days.)