KINGSVILLE, Texas – The 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships kicked off Thursday with the first of three days of action. Four Greyhounds competed on day one, with Austin Hogan and Katie Monk earning All-America honors. The national meet is being held at Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University Kingsville in Kingsville, Texas.
 
Monk started things off with a top-eight performance in the women's hammer throw. Competing in her final collegiate meet, the senior thrower used a 55.72-meter throw to place sixth among DII's best, good for her first outdoor All-America honor.
 
Hogan, meanwhile, took on the best in the country in the men's hammer throw. His second throw of 60.91 meters proved to be his longest, placing him seventh overall. He is now a four-time All-American at outdoor nationals, with this being his first in the hammer.
 
Senior Mickayla Wenzel (left) opened her Nationals debut with a successful go in the 1500 meters preliminaries. The Francesville, Ind., native posted a time of 4:35.70 to put her in Saturday's 12-woman final.
 
Additionally, senior Hilary Paxson finished 12th in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 52.75.
 
The meet continues tomorrow, with both Hogan and Monk returning to the throwing ring. The women's discus is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by the men's at 5:30.