As a freshman in 2022, Hillsdale men's track and field's Ben Haas could only watch the competition in the weight throw at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships from afar after an early-season injury robbed him of almost all of his season.
Fully healthy on Friday at the 2023 edition of the Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Haas not only was in the competition but on the podium, capturing All-American honors for the first time in his career with an impressive performance.
The only athlete with freshman eligibility competing in a field of 15 experienced juniors and seniors, Haas seemed to be at a disadvantage despite being the third overall seed, but the Clarkston, Michigan native displayed the maturity and resolve of a national meet veteran in the roller-coaster competition.
After fouling his first throw, Haas was able to get his second throw down, a 19.99 meter mark that locked up a spot in the finals. With his position secure, Haas jumped up the leaderboard with his fifth attempt, going from sixth to third with a huge throw of 20.66 meters that put an exclamation point on the second-year athlete's first-ever All-American finish.
The third-place finish at nationals caps a huge comeback year for Haas, who made himself known as a contender at the first meet of the season in December of 2022 and steadily built on his performances, capturing the G-MAC crown in the weight throw leading up to the Indoor Championships.
The big finish augurs a bright future for Haas, who was by far the youngest of the 16 athletes in the weight throw competition on Friday. He'll have an opportunity to add more hardware indoors in years to come, but first he'll move into outdoor competition this spring, looking to prove his mettle in a variety of different throwing events for the Chargers.