Senior Josh Owens Named May Male Student-Athlete Of The Month

St. Peter, Minn. – After being named the Gustavus Male Student-Athlete of the Month already once this year in March, senior pole vaulter Josh Owens (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) has been named the Male Student-Athlete of the Month for the second time for his performances in May at the MIAC and NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Owens opened the month with a fourth place finish at the Meet of the UnSaintly after clearing a height of 15-feet, 8.25-inches.  With his fourth place standing, he stood alone as the highest finisher of any Division III competitor in the pole vault competition.

The senior followed his fourth place finish by earning the title of MIAC Champion in the pole vault at the 2013 MIAC Outdoor Championships on May 10th.  Owens notched his first conference title in the outdoor pole vault after registering a height of 15-feet, 5.5-inches.

The following weekend, Owens upped his performance to 16-feet, 1.75-inches for another first place finish at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier, which launched him into a tie for fourth in the seeding heading to the NCAA Championships.

Owens concluded his month of May by turning in a third place finish at the NCAA Championships held in La Crosse, Wis. on Friday, May 24th.  With a season-best height of 16-feet, 2.25-inches, the senior earned All-America honors for the second time in 2013 after accomplishing the feat in the indoor season in March.  This season marked the first time Owens was bestowed All-America accolades in outdoor track and field, only the second pole vaulter in Gustavus history to garner the award.

Owens finished his career as the most decorated pole vaulter in the history of the Gustavus men’s track and field program.  A two-time MIAC Champion pole vaulter in indoor and three-time All-Conference performer in both indoor and outdoor, Owens added an outdoor conference title to his resume in May of this year.  He also holds both indoor and outdoor school records for pole vault and has achieved All-America marks once each in indoor and outdoor.