Powell’s Lexee Craig capped her collegiate track and field career late last month, with her third appearance at the 2021 NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Dickinson State University pole vaulter competed hard before getting out at the opening height.

Ahead of the national competition, Craig ended the regular season by being named the outstanding field performer of the week for the North Star Athletic Association. By vaulting 11’, 11.75” at the DSU Last Chance Meet on May 6, Craig hit the automatic qualifying mark for nationals and landed in 12th place within the NAIA.

“Lexee [Craig] has been an outstanding performer over her last four years. She’s a five-time conference champion and is a three-time national qualifier,” noted Dickinson State head coach Shayne Wittkopp.

At the North Star Athletic Association Conference Championships on May 13-14, Craig didn’t have her best performance in the pole vault, but she did run the 400 meter hurdles for the first time — and took sixth place. That helped Dickinson State earn its fourth consecutive conference title.

At the conference meet, Craig also earned the “Champion of Character” award, given to one girl and one boy athlete from every school each year; she previously received the award in 2020 for indoor track.