AZUSA, Calif.— Members of the Colorado Mesa University track and field teams wrapped up the regular season with some fine performances at the APU (Azusa Pacific University) Last Chance meet, contested Friday and Saturday here at Cougar Stadium.
Several Mavericks set new or improved NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying marks in hopes of qualifying for the May 26-28 championships in Allendale, Michigan while graduate student
Trevor Smith set the Maverick record in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Sierra Arceneaux led the way, posting the fastest time in CMU history in the 200 meters with a wind-aided, yet legal NCAA qualifying mark of 23.72 seconds. That will move her up to as high as ninth on the national performers' list and certainly into the national meet when selections are announced on Tuesday afternoon by 4 p.m. MDT on NCAA.com.
Meanwhile, freshman sprinters
Serenity Burnett-Perry and
Victoria Eversley had respective wind-aided times of 12.31 and 12.39 seconds in the 100 meters.
The freshmen also teamed with twins Kierra and
Sierra Arceneaux for a time of 46.53 seconds in the 4x100-meter relay, fifth best in CMU history.
Meanwhile, in Friday evening's 5,000 meters, redshirt freshman
Kira MacGill posted an improved NCAA provisional qualifying time of 16:43.13 to move up as many as 15 spots to as high as 28
th on the national list. She also moved up a spot to second in CMU history with the effort.
Fifth-year senior
Lindsay Parsons also turned in an NCAA provisional qualifying and career-best time of 36:21.43 in the 10,000 meters in her final career race as a Mav.
In the field events,
Taeryn Trumper had an impressive and NCAA provisional qualifying long jump performance of 5.91 meters (19-4.75), which will rank her as high as 29
th on the national list.
Kiana Jackson also had a wind-legal season-best mark of 11.89 meters (39-0.25) in the triple jump while
Josie Coffey cleared 1.72 meters (5-7.75) to finish third in the high jump.
Heather Yackey had a performance of 40.80 meters (133-10) in Friday's discus throw while
Mica Jenrette scored 3,926 points in the first six events of the heptathlon before bowing out. She will hope that her school-record score of 4,982 points will be good enough to get her into the national meet. Jenrette currently ranks 13
th on the national list.
On the men's side,
Spencer Purnell turned in a season-best mark of 15.15 meters (49 feet, 8 ½ inches) to move as high as 13
th on the national list and very much in the picture for a second straight NCAA Outdoor Championship spot.
Then in the final event of the night, Smith raced to a time of 9:35.63 to take third in his heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. That time was nearly two seconds quicker than Michael Nelson's 7-year old school record of 9:37.41, which had also been set here.
In the sprints,
Kade Christensen turned in a wind-legal best time of 10.71 seconds in the 100 meters, moving into a tie for third on the Mavs' all-time charts. Teammate
Jeremiah Wilson was clocked in 10.79 to take the No. 6 spot in CMU history.
They also teamed with
Sterling Brassfield and
Elijah Williams to post a time of 40.85 seconds in the 4x100-meter relay, the second fastest time in program history.
Williams also had a solid time of 21.14 seconds to finish third in the 200 meters while
Zayden Davis finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.43.
Elsewhere,
Hayden Riley turned in a pair of second place finishes, throwing the discus 48.82 meters (160-2) on Friday before turning a shot put performance of 16.30 meters (53-5.75), just four centimeters shy of his own-school record.
Justin Thompson also had a strong wind-aided effort of 7.57 meters (24-10) in the long jump while
Zace Buckhold cleared 1.99 meters (6-6.25) in the high jump
