PITTSBURG, Kan. – Phil Thompson saved his best for last as the Griffon track and field senior finished third in the triple jump at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

The senior became the first Griffon All-American after becoming the first-year program’s first-ever national qualifier with a lifetime-best 15.53m (50-11 ½) on his third jump of the day. The record breaking jump won the heat for Thompson and put him in the finals against the top-10 jumpers in the nation.

Thompson entered the national championships ranked 14th in the nation with a 15.06m at the Graduate Classic. After just missing that mark on the first jump of his heat with a 15.04, Thompson set the personal best and the jump that made him an All-American two jumps later. After two low marks in his first two jumps of the finals, Thompson finished strong with a 15.37 on his final jump of the night, but it was his third that held up.

It wasn’t Thompson’s first national championship appearance, just his first as a Griffon. Thompson transferred to Missouri Western after St. Joseph’s College closed. At the same event last year, Thompson placed 12th. This year, he bested last year’s champion Michael Sandle of Minnesota State; last year’s second place finisher, Jumonne Exeter of St. Augustine’s; and last year’s third place finisher, Chalres Greaves of Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Thompson also overcame a fourth-place finish in the MIAA Championships, finishing second among MIAA competitors. Only Sedeekie Edie of Lincoln with a 15.55 was better than Thompson among MIAA competitors on Saturday. DeVontae Steele of Texas A&M-Commerce blew away the field with an event-record 16.25. Any of Steele’s six jumps would have been good enough to win the competition.

— MWSU Athletics —