Butler junior Wade Walder has secured one of the 24 coveted spots in the decathlon field at the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Walder, behind his Butler record performance of 7,355 points in the event at the Bryan Clay Invitational April 17 was in the No. 25 position when the performance lists were updated following the conference championships. However, one student-athlete medically scratched Tuesday, which moved Walder into the field.

The 24 athletes will compete for the NCAA crown June 5-8 in Austin, Texas, at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

While the top 24 nationally secure spots in the decathlon directly, five of Walder's teammates will look to secure a spot in the Austin field with strong performances this week at the NCAA East Regional Qualifying Meet in Jacksonville, Fla. Butler's contingent in Florida includes Euan Makepeace (5,000 meters), Barry Keane (10,000 meters), Johnny Leverenz (1,500 meters), and Clark Otte (3,000-meter steeplechase) on the men's side, while Allie Vogeler will compete in the 400-meter hurdles.

Walder won the BIG EAST title in the decathlon at the 2017 and 2018 outdoor championships, but did not compete in the decathlon at the 2019 meet.