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AUSTIN, TX - Senior Steve Esler (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) finished his UB career with a solid second day to finish 16th in the decathlon at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at the University of Texas on Saturday night.

Esler, who was ranked 24th in the nation coming into the event, missed his career-best total points by just 42, finishing with a total of 7,264 points in the event. Rice University senior Ryan Harlan won the event with 8,171 points, a lifetime best.

Steve Esler

Esler, who was 17th after the first day of competition, was able to gain one spot on day two with workmanlike performances and saved his best for last. Esler finished 22nd in the 110-meter hurdles (:15.40), 14th in the discus (128-02), tied for 14th in the pole vault (14-1¹/₄"), 17th in the javelin (165-06) and ninth in the 1,500 (4:37.88).

The senior ends his career with a pair of Mid-American Conference titles, in the indoor heptathlon and the outdoor decathlon. This week was his first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championships.

For the four-day event, the Bulls had three athletes finish in the top 16 in country. Senior Allison Laske (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) led the way with a 13th place finish in the 800 meters, senior pole vaulter Laura Olson (Lyons, NY/Lyons) was 15th in the pole vault, while Esler was 16th in the decathlon. It was the most competitors Buffalo has ever had a Division I track and field championship.