Allendale, Mich. — A pair of Texas A&M-Kingsville, track and field athletes, reached the podium on Friday, as redshirt senior Johnathon Harper (Lorena, Texas) took second in the decathlon, while classmate Gertrudis Balli (Matamoros Tamaulipas, Mexico) placed seventh in the discus on day two of the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships at the Grand Valley State Track and Field Stadium
 
Harper entered the day with 3.958 points and hit the ground running, clocking in at 14.37 in the 110m hurdles for the fastest time in the segment. Additionally, the 110m hurdles saw him add 925 to his total, more than any other segment in the competition. From there, he gained 507 in the discus before a 4.55m (14-11) clearance in the pole vault resulted in 775 more. Harper earned 551 points in the javelin before wrapping up the day with a time of 4:46.21 in the 1500m to wrap up the day with a silver medal. 
 
Later in the day, Balli reached 47.08m (154-5) on her third attempt to crack the finals and climb into seventh place on the national podium. This year's performance represents a three-spot improvement from her 10th place finish in 2021 and marks the first time she has achieved First-Team All-America status in her Blue and Gold career. 
 
Competition in the Great Lake State wraps up Saturday, with junior Kimberly Ortolon (Edna, Texas) taking on the pole vault at 11:30 a.m. and redshirt senior D.J. Delancy (Bethel Town, Jamaica) entering the shot put ring at 2 p.m.
 
A full recap following each day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships can be found at javelinaathletics.com. To keep up-to-date with Javelina track and field, follow the program on Facebook at /JavelinaSports, Twitter @JavelinaTFXC, and on Instagram @JavelinaTFXC
 
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