EMPORIA, Kan. – As the outdoor track and field season is winding down, not all of Tim Servis' Muleriders have concluded their season just yet. Sophomore Jason Patrick Jr. will step in to the discus ring one final time this season with an opportunity at throwing for a national title as the Prescott, Arkansas product becomes the first Mulerider male to throw in the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Patrick Jr. is one of just nineteen male athletes across the country to compete for the gold in the event. The sophomore is also just one of two Great American Conference athletes to compete for the discus national podium. The Mulerider will see familiar competition in Harding's Lukas Stiper who holds the league's furthest discus throw this season (181' 11").
 
There will be two flights going in the event with Patrick Jr. being the third thrower of flight one. The remainder of the flights looks like the list below:
 
Flight One

1. Cedric Pearson (Missouri Southern)
2. Paxton Hair (TAMU-Kingsville)
3. Jason Patrick Jr. (Southern Arkansas)
4. Nathan Spitzley (Grand Valley State)
5. Kegan Crowell (Newberry)
6. Emmanual Mena-Jimenez (St. Thomas Aquinas)
7. Bryce Spencer (Lubbock Christian)
8. Owen Fraser (Missouri S&T)
9. Brennan Boord (Pittsburg State)

Flight Two

1. Addison Snowball (Central Missouri)
2. Jacob Morris (Truman State)
3. Noah Evers (Davenport)
4. James Mackey Jr. (Grand Valley State)
5. Cole Gorham (East Stroudsburg)
6. Carter Aguilera (Minnesota State-Mankato)
7. Peyton Barton (Missouri Southern)
8. Gabe Ford (Missouri Southern)
9. Braden Rose (Washburn)
10. Lukas Stiper (Harding)

 
The sophomore has been on the incline since the outdoor season began back in early March at the 2024 Mississippi College Spring Cleaning Classic in which Patrick Jr. tossed the discus for 150' 9" and won the event. He is responsible for two more victories in the event including at this year's Dan Veach Invitational (3-23-24) and at the Harding last Chance Meet and Multi (5-9-24). The last chance meet was exactly that for the thrower, and the Prescott native did not disappoint as he shattered his personal and Southern Arkansas program record by 2.20m (7' 2") with a toss of 176' 3" and earned his spot in the National Championship.
 
Patrick Jr.'s PR is currently the 18^th best in NCAA DII and the ninth furthest among male throwers in the Central Region. The sophomore has been setting newer and better standards for Mulerider throwers as mentioned earlier, Patrick Jr. is the first male thrower from SAU to compete at the National Championship but he is also the first Mulerider to make his way to the national stage since Karonce Higgins and Aurthur Jeffery chased/leaped for the gold in event.
 
Patrick Jr. and his opponents are set for their championship tosses at 1:30 PM on Friday.