Baker Claims Second All-American Honor in Shot Put, Leads Waldorf to Top 20 Finish
SANFORD, SD – Waldorf senior thrower Wade Baker (Chewelah, WA) became a double All-American Saturday, following his 17.18 meter shot put throw, good for second in the nation at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships held at South Dakota State University Saturday.
Through his impressive performance, Baker amassed 14 team points for Waldorf, who then finished tied for 20th place overall amid a field of 67 participating NAIA schools. Baker cumulatively outscored all other male field competitors in pure field events.
Baker, who had already earned All-American status with his third place finish in Friday's weight throw event, claimed the top national finish by a Warrior since Damarre Martin won a national championship in the 400 meter sprint at the 2020 NAIA Indoor National Championships.
"Wade had such an amazing weekend this weekend at Nationals and we couldn't be more proud of him," said Waldorf Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Janna Langrell. "He came into the national meet seeded tenth in the weight throw and finished third and twelfth in the shot put and finished second, just a half meter shy of first place. I am so proud of all the work he has done both in and outside of practice to get himself to this point. He truly earned it."
Friday, Baker finished third in the weight throw and set a personal record of 19.73 meters. When converted, his throw measures at 64 feet, 8.75 inches. Baker set this new standard a week after winning the 2024 North Star Athletic Association Championship in the weight throw event.
In his junior season, Baker placed ninth in the weight throw at the 2023 NAIA Indoor Nationals. As a result, he finished just outside the top-eight finish needed for All-American status. Baker attains All-American status in 2024 after qualifying for nationals in three consecutive years.
"I'm incredibly proud of Wade," said Waldorf Assistant Coach Trevor Gorwin. "He came into the competition ranked tenth in the nation for the weight throw and finished third. He shook up the competition by throwing 1.5 meters further than his personal best, demonstrating that you can never count a Warrior out. He has grown so much as an athlete and I am very happy to be a part of his journey."
Senior hurdler/sprinter Jorge Olivo-Cabrera also had a strong showing in Sanford. Olivo-Cabrera qualified for nationals in the 60 meter hurdles. Olivo-Cabrera finished 27th overall with a time of 8.39 seconds.
"Jorge had one of the best races of his career," said Waldorf Assistant Coach George Adams. "He has been working hard on executing certain aspects of his race all season and he was able to do those things today. The national meet is an extremely tight competition and he showed up and put in a race that I am extremely proud of as his coach."
The 2024 NAIA Indoor National Championships mark the completion of the Indoor Track & Field season. Warrior Track & Field athletes will now shift gears to outdoor competition, slated to begin later this month.