EMPORIA, Kan. – Grant Nastasi Competed in the men's 100-meter preliminaries inside Welch Stadium on Thursday evening, he posted a time of 10.66 seconds against one of the nation's top sprint fields in the NCAA National Championships.
Natasi's appearance at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships marked a milestone moment for Spring Hill College track and field, as the senior became the program's first NCAA Division II national qualifier since the College transitioned to Division II membership.
"May 21, 2026 marked the day in which our program had our very first NCAA qualifier compete in an NCAA Division II National Championship competition," said head coach Craig McVey. "Not unlike the first climbers to the top of Mt Everest, the NCAA Championships had been the elusive goal of many in our program before Grant Nastasi."
Nastasi entered the national meet after a record-setting outdoor season in which he established new program records in both sprint events, posting a 10.31 in the 100-meter dash and a 21.30 in the 200-meter dash. He was also the only male sprinter from the SIAC selected to compete in either the 100-meter or 200-meter events at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.
"Out of the 44 combined selections in the 100 and 200 meter, Grant Nastasi was the only SIAC sprinter selected... the only one of 44," McVey said. "Quite a feat for someone who had never been heard of at the conference or NCAA level until his junior and senior years."
Thursday's race came after rainy conditions moved through Emporia prior to race time, creating a cool and wet track environment for competitors. Nastasi's opening start was recalled before the field was reset for an official second attempt.
"As his race started, Grant was out with the field with an amazing start, in the top 3 of 8 running before the race was called back soon after the start," McVey said. "The starter set everyone off down the track a second time but with a start not quite as good, Grant moved with the field working to be the same, tough sprinter he had learned to be."
Nastasi finished sixth in his preliminary heat and came within .07 seconds of earning Second Team All-America honors.
"No, Grant Nastasi didn't qualify for the 100 meter final on Saturday, May 23 but, he did come within .07 of a second of earning 2nd team All-American honors," McVey said. "There is no consolation prize, but there is a huge amount of reality in that someone that entered Spring Hill College, as most freshmen do, Grant had now earned a place on the NCAA National stage of Division II Track and Field."
Over the course of his career, Nastasi developed into one of the top sprinters in program history while contributing heavily in relay competition and earning multiple all-conference honors for the Badgers.
"Grant's legacy will be one that includes school records, large numbers of program top ten marks, multiple all-conference honors and in being a student-athlete to say, 'hey, we belong at an NCAA Championship too'," McVey said.
Nastasi closes his Spring Hill career as one of the foundational figures in the continued growth of Badgers track and field in the NCAA Division II landscape.
