By: Madelyn Stephen, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Missouri S&T opened competition Friday at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships with a historic day highlighted by two school records, two national podium finishes, and a strong start in the heptathlon. The Miners sit 11th in the team standings after day one of the national meet.
Thrower Owen Fraser (Kirksville, MO/Kirksville) delivered one of the top performances in program history in the weight throw, placing sixth nationally with a mark of 20.98 meters on his second-round attempt. The throw broke his personal record and set a new Missouri S&T school record, surpassing the previous mark of 20.77 meters set by Jacob Luebbert in 2024. Fraser's finish also marks the highest placement by a Miner in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships, topping Luebbert's seventh-place finish in 2024.
Missouri S&T also earned a national podium finish in the distance medley relay, as Andrew Bacon, Otto Knittel (Spring Hill, KS/Spring Hill), Jack Janovick (Spring Hill, KS/Spring Hill), and Henry Born (Lake Quivira, KS/Shawnee Mission Northwest) placed sixth in the nation with a time of 9:42.16. The performance marked the third time this season the quartet has broken the Missouri S&T school record, improving upon their previous mark of
9:42.81, and stands as the highest finish by a distance medley relay team in Missouri S&T program history.
Each leg played a key role in the record-setting performance. Andrew Bacon (Webster Groves, MO/Webster Groves) opened the race with a 3:01.75 split, followed by Otto Knittel's (Spring Hill, KS/Spring Hill) 49.06 split on the 400-meter leg. Jack Janovick (Spring Hill, KS/Spring Hill) posted a 1:51.32 split on the 800 meters before
Henry Born (Lake Quivira, KS/Shawnee Mission Northwest) closed the race with the fastest mile split in the country this season at 4:00.04, helping the Miners move up three spots in the closing stages of the race.
Knittel also began competition in the heptathlon, where he currently sits 10th overall heading into day two. He scored 830 points in the 60 meters (7.15, 8th), 695 points in the long jump (6.49m, 11th), 637 points in the shot put (12.50m, 7th), and 696 points in the high jump (1.88m, 8th).
Missouri S&T returns to competition today, March 14 for the final day of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships as the Miners look to add to their point total and move up the team standings. Knittel will conclude the heptathlon with the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000 meters, while Fraser will compete in the shot put, and Born is set to run in the 3000 meters.
Follow Miners Track & Field on X at @Miners_XCTF and on Instagram at @Miners_TFXC
