WAVERLY (IA) – Sophomore Ta'riq Thomas of the Delaware Valley University men's track & field team earned the second All-America honor of his career on Saturday, taking third place in the triple jump at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

Thomas recorded a distance of 48' 8.25" (14.84 meters) on his third of six attempts. The jump was his personal best and he improved on his sixth place effort in 2015 where he jumped 48' 4" for All-American status. It was the 10^th All-America accolade in program history. In addition, Thomas' bronze medal performance second-highest  finish by a DelVal track and field student-athlete at the national championships. Mark Tankersley took second in the 110-meter hurdles in 1980 and followed with a third-place showing the next year. Tom Masterson took third in the javelin in 2011.

Thomas had the fifth-best mark in the nation entering the competition at 48' (14.63 meters). He accomplished that last week at the ECAC Championships, where he took first. Thomas also captured the triple jump and long jump titles at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships, recording distances of 47' 4.25" and 22' 7.75" respectively. He has four conference crowns to his credit, including the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The national championships took place at Wartburg College. Benjamin Ezike of Buffalo State was the triple jump winner (50' 11.5", 15.53 meters). Wisconsin-La Crosse captured its second straight national title, finishing with 41 points. Wisconsin-Eau Claire was the runner-up for the second year in a row with 33 points. Thomas garnered six points for the Aggies to finish tied for 46^th.