Braden Kalvelage from Northwestern College is this week’s field athlete-of-the-week. Kalvelage, a junior from Hastings, Nebraska, became the new NAIA leader in the long jump with a leap of 7.49m at the Frank Sevigne / Husker Invitational, winning the event among NCAA DI and DII competition. He also beat his own program record in the 200m, hitting the provisional mark with a 21.67 for fourth place.
Dordt University’s Payton Mauldin is this week’s track athlete-of-the-week. Mauldin, a senior, from George, Iowa, won two events at the Frank Sevigne / Husker Invite last weekend. In a meet loaded with NCAA D-I and D-II as well as top NAIA runners, Mauldin thrived by winning both the 400m and 600m. On Friday night, Mauldin set another school record in the 400m, crossing the finish line in 46.38, the top time in the NAIA. Mauldin came back on Saturday to win the 600m (1:17.23) and anchored the Defenders to a third-place finish in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:13.73, finishing as the top NAIA team.