EMPORIA, Kan. – Sprinter Grant Nastasi will compete on the national stage Thursday evening at 6:10 p.m, running in the preliminaries of the men's 100-meter dash at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Welch Stadium.
Nastasi enters the national meet following a standout outdoor season in which he established himself as one of the top sprinters in program history. He set the school record in the 100-meter dash at 10.31 seconds while also posting a 21.30-second school-record mark in the 200-meter dash, leading a strong sprint campaign throughout the spring.
His appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships also marks a milestone moment for the program, as Nastasi becomes the first Spring Hill track and field student-athlete to qualify for a national championship meet since the College transitioned to NCAA Division II membership.
The native of Covington, Louisiana, has been a consistent presence in both individual and relay competition for the Badgers, serving as a key contributor on Spring Hill's 4x100-meter relay team while producing top finishes throughout the 2026 outdoor season.
Wednesday served as a pre-meet day for competitors in Emporia, with cooler temperatures and windy conditions greeting athletes at Welch Stadium following severe weather that moved through the region earlier in the week.
"Right now we're grateful for the weather we have," said head coach Craig McVey. "Monday night storms moved through and produced 70-80 mph winds through the Kansas City area,.. too close for comfort."
McVey said Nastasi looked sharp during Wednesday's final preparations heading into the national meet.
"Grant had a great practice day and he's ready to go," McVey said. "He's totally deserving of this opportunity. In a competition like this, anything can happen. There are so many people separated by .01 or .02 of a second, so making the final is totally up for grabs."
With a school-record 10.31 entering Thursday's preliminaries, Nastasi will look to position himself among the qualifiers advancing to the next round of national championship competition.
"The challenge is for Grant to be Grant," McVey said. "To do what he's done all season and take another baby step. Time to be amazing one more time."
