Results
 
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Slippery Rock University pole vaulter Drew Layton earned second team All-America honors with a 13th place finish in the pole vault and multi-event standout Logan Anderson had a strong first day of competition to lead The Rock men's track & field team Friday on the opening day of the National Championships from the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
 
Layton picks up his fourth career All-America honor and is now a two-time indoor All-American and a two-time outdoor All-American. He was a first team honoree in both indoor and outdoor last year, but battled injuries all winter and never approached his marks from a season ago.
 
Despite being injured, Layton elected to compete at the national meet after skipping competition for the month of February. He cleared the opening bar at 4.86 meters, but missed all three attempts at 5.01 meters to bow out of the competition well below his indoor career-best of 5.24 meters.
 
"Drew is a tough kid and I applaud him for battling this winter to get here and to have a chance to compete," said Bill Jordan, SRU head coach. "I know this isn't the result he wanted this season, but to deal with what he dealt with this winter and still come out of it as an All-American is a testament to the kind of athlete he is. We are proud of him and looking forward to getting him healed up for the outdoor season."
 
While Layton was the only SRU athlete that competed in a final event Friday, the highlight of the day belonged to sophomore multi-event specialist Logan Anderson, who competed in the first four events of the heptathlon and put himself in a strong position to earn his first career All-America honor on day two.
 
Anderson sits seventh overall after the first day with 2,972 points, just off the pace of 3,003 points he set when he broke the all-time PSAC and SRU records in the event at the conference championships two weeks ago. He posted the fifth-best 60-meter time (7.08), the fifth-best long jump mark (6.84m) and the second-best high jump mark (1.94m), but gave up some ground in the shot put with the 12th-best throw (11.78m). The leader of the event is Joel Brown from Walsh, who is 141 points clear of Anderson with 3,113 points. Fourth place is just 28 points ahead of Anderson.
 
Only 198 total points separates first place and eighth place heading into the final day of action Saturday. Anderson will compete in the final three events (60m hurdles, pole vault, 1,000-meter run) beginning Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Slippery Rock will also see shot put thrower Seaton Wozniak competing Saturday when Wozniak throws in the finals at 2:45 p.m.
 
SRU RESULTS – NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY ONE
 
POLE VAULT FINALS
13. Drew Layton – 4.86 meters (2nd team All-America)
 
HEPTATHLON FIRST DAY
7. Logan Anderson – 2,972 points
- 60m Dash: 7.08 seconds
- Long Jump: 6.84m
- Shot Put: 11.78m
- High Jump: 1.94m
 



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