GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University track & field teams will look to qualify additional athletes for this month's NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships when they wrap up the regular season at the aptly named Franson Last Chance meet in Azusa, California.
Azusa Pacific University will host the meet at Cougar Stadium starting Thursday with the first day of the combined events although the Mavericks will not open up their participation until Friday.
The meet runs through late Saturday night.
A total of 28 Maverick athletes (13 men, 15 women) are expected to compete.
The full and final meet schedule can be found here.
Live results can be accessed here.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks hosted their own last chance type meet last Friday and Saturday at the CMU Track & Field Complex.
Two Mavericks in
Megan Hodges and
Joseph Randolph set improved NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying times to highlight the weekend.
Hodges ran to a time of 16 minutes, 53.44 seconds in the 5,000 meters on Friday morning, which converted to 16:29.41 with the altitude conversion. She currently sits 13
th on the national performance list with that effort and is very likely to earn a trip to Emporia, Kansas for the national meet.
On Saturday, Randolph posted a time of 20.84 seconds in the 200 meters. He now sits in a tie for 22
nd and very much on the bubble for NCAA Championship selection with his altitude-adjusted time of 20.91 seconds.
The Mavericks also set numerous other season and career-best marks throughout the weekend.
Top 10 Marks
During the Western Slope Conversion Classic, eight Maverick athletes set career-best marks that rank them inside the top 10 of program history. Here is a look at each of those efforts.
Men's
200- 2.
Joseph Randolph (20.84)
400- 9.
Blake Anderson (49.18)
Pole Vault- 5.
Cooper Van Maurer (4.70m/15-5)
Shot Put- 5.
Kaiden Major (15.10m/49-6.5)
Hammer Throw- T9.
Austin Schultz (49.33m/161-10)
Women's
200- 5.
Hannah Schissler (24.14)
400- 6.
Elaina Arcand (56.95)
Javelin Throw- 9.
Kylie Mayer (35.26m/115-8)
NCAA Lists
Throughout the season, the Mavericks have posted 22 different NCAA provisional qualifying marks this season, including two that put the Mavs in the top ten of country and nine that put the Mavs inside the current NCAA selection window, some of which are right on the bubble.
Here's a look at all of the Mavs' current national rankings. The top 22 declared athletes in each individual event will earn NCAA selection for the May 21-23 meet in Emporia, Kansas. The top 16 relay teams in each event will also be selected as will the top 16 declared men's decathletes and women's heptathletes.
Men
100m- 24.
Teo Casados (10.32)
200m- 16. Casados (20.86*), 22.
Joseph Randolph (20.91*)
800m- 22.
Vasileios Salpas (1:48.92*)
5K- 28.
Clayton Wilson (14:08.75)
400m Hurdles- 39.
Aidan Brownell (52.30*)
4x100m Relay- 5. Colorado Mesa (39.74*)
High Jump- 35.
Devin Shea (2.05m/6-8.75)
Long Jump- 39. Shea (7.36m/24-1.75)
Triple Jump- 20.
Antone Higgs (15.08m/49-5.75)
Javelin Throw- 11.
Izaak Siefken (68.75m/225-7)
Decathlon- 44.
Asa Keim (6360)
Women
200m- 48.
Hannah Schissler (24.03*)
5K- 13.
Megan Hodges (16:29.41)
400m Hurdles- 9.
Kammi Merritt (59.00*), 61.
Olivia Langner (1:01.66*)
3K Steeplechase- 41.
Shirley Weaver (10:52.42)
4x100m Relay- 34. Colorado Mesa (46.11*) –
47th overall list including schools with multiple performances
High Jump- 21.
Kaelea Gibson (1.70/5-7)
Discus Throw- 28.
Kaiya Graves (47.30m/155-2)
Javelin Throw- 37. Graves (43.56m/142-11)
Heptathlon- 40.
Kaitlyn Pearson (4727)
*-Altitude Adjusted Time
Maverick Entries
The Mavericks have entered 28 athletes (13 men, 15 women) for the weekend meet, a majority of whom have already set NCAA Championship provisional qualifying marks but looking to improve their chances for selection in their primary event and/or add an additional secondary mark.
Here's a complete list of the Maverick entries.
Men (13 Athletes, 22 Entries)
100m (4):
Teo Casados,
Marik Cummings,
Amaris Mora,
Joseph Randolph
200m (4): Casados, Cummings, Mora, Randolph
800m (2):
Vasileios Salpas
3K Steeplechase (1):
Ryan O'Loughlin
10K (1):
Alex Spink
400m Hurdles (1):
Aidan Brownell
4x100m Relay: 1 Team
High Jump (1):
Devin Shea
Pole Vault (1):
Asa Keim
Long Jump (2):
Weston Domich, Shea
Triple Jump (2):
Salem Brunk, Domich
Javelin (2): Keim, Siefken
Women (15 Athletes, 23 Entries)
100m (3):Sylvia Johnansen,
Genesis Nehmer,
Hannah Schissler
200m (4): Johnansen,
Kammi Merritt, Nehmer, Schissler
400m (1): Merritt
1500m (3):
Megan Hodges,
Brooke Miller,
Autumn McQuitty
10K (1): McQuitty
400m Hurdles (2):
Olivia Langner,
Kaitlyn Pearson
3K Steeplechase (1): Weaver
4x100m Relay: 1 Team
High Jump (1):
Kaelea Gibson
Long Lump (2):
Addy Kirkpatrick, Pearson
Discus (3):
Kaiya Graves,
Augustine Hancock,
Kylie Mayer
Hammer Throw (1): Hancock
Javelin (2): Graves, Pearson
#EventSquad
The Mavericks are ranked amongst the nation's top ten teams in five different disciplines in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's #EventSquad rankings, which are calculated by adding the marks from a team's top four performers in each individual events.
The Maverick men are ranked fourth for the triple jump with a combined total of 58.63 meters and an average of 14.66 meters and it ninth for the long jump with a 4-person total of 28.77 meters (7.19 average)
On the women's side, the Mavs sit eighth in the 400-meter hurdles, ninth in the 10,000 meters and tenth in the 5,000 meters.
Up Next
Selected Mavericks will have one final chance to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships as they compete at the Franson Last Chance meet, hosted by Azusa Pacific University next week (Thursday, May 7-Saturday, May 9).
Selections for the May 28-30 national meet in Emporia, Kansas are slated be announced next Tuesday (May 12) on NCAA.com.
