BOULDER, Colo. -- Azusa Pacific produced six NCAA Division II indoor provisional qualifying efforts from a small group of 14 athletes at the Colorado Invitational in Boulder last weekend.
Another 10 athletes competed at the University of New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque as the Cougars fine-tuned their performances for the final three weeks of the qualifying window for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships.
NCAA Indoor Qualifiers (provisional):
Women's pole vault: Abigail Gray (3.80m / 12' 5 ½")
Women's pole vault: Amanda Fassold (3.65m / 11' 11 ¾")
Women's Triple Jump: Olivia Nash (11.69m / 38' 4 ¼")
Women's Pentathlon: Meagan Warwick (3389 points)
Men's High Jump: Raymon Harper (2.06m / 6' 9")
Men's Heptathlon: Chad Ponciano (4872 points)
Top Performances (women): Abigail Gray matched her season-best in the pole vault, clearing 3.80 meters (12'-5 ½") for the second straight competition. In four meets this season, Gray has surpassed the NCAA indoor provisional standard. Amanda Fassold also tied her season-best with a clearance of 3.65 meters (11'-11 ¾") in the pole vault. Meagan Warwick posted a provisional qualifying score of 3,389 points in the pentathlon in just the second meet she competed this season. Natalie Klapp and Nikohl Jordan also competed in the pentathlon, with Klapp scoring 2,997 points while Jordan posted a score of 2,949 points.
In New Mexico, Jaylah Walker was just three-tenths of a second off the 400-meter provisional qualifying time, recording a time of 56.96 to lead a group of three Cougars in the 400 meters. Jazmine Robertson was the fastest among an Azusa Pacific trio in the 200 meters, clocking a time of 25.77.
Top Performances (men): Raymon Harper was within a half-inch of his season-best in the high jump, clearing 2.06 meters (6'-9"). Harper also finished near the provisional standard in the long jump with a leap of 7.05 meters (23'-1 ¾") on his opening attempt, which he later matched on his third jump. Chad Ponciano recorded a provisional qualifying score of 4,872 points in the heptathlon, although his best score this year was 5,036 in the season-opening Colorado School of Mines Alumni Classic & Multi in December. Ponciano currently ranks 15th on the NCAA Division II national performance list. Zach Munoz scored 4,676 points in the heptathlon, and Weston Ellis scored 4,077 points while scoring in six of the seven events.
In the meet in New Mexico, Richard Finical was less than a tenth of a second from posting a provisional qualifier in the 400 meters, finishing in 48.67 seconds. He also ran a 22.22 in the 200 meters, the fastest among five Cougars in that event. Isaac Mowbray posted a time of 8.56 in the 60 meter hurdle prelims to win his heat, and he repeated that time while finishing seventh in the finals of that event.
What's Next: Eileen Stressling will compete at next weekend's Husky Classic, and a larger contingent from Azusa Pacific will compete at the Northern Arizona University Tune Up Meet in two weeks.
Current NCAA provisional qualifiers (indoor season):
Women's 3,000 meters: Eileen Stressling (9:38.69), NCAA performance list: #6
Women's 5,000 meters: Eileen Stressling (16:43.33), NCAA performance list: #4
Women's high jump: Chinenye Agina (1.74m / 5'-8 ½"), NCAA performance list: #3
Women's pole vault: Abigail Gray (3.80m / 12'-5 ½"), NCAA performance list: #18
Women's pole vault: Amanda Fassold (3.65m / 11'-11 ¾"), NCAA performance list: #33
Women's triple jump: Olivia Nash (12.25m / 40'-2 ¼"), NCAA performance list: #4
Women's pentathlon: Meagan Warwick (3,389 points), NCAA performance list: #24
Women's pentathlon: Nikohl Jordan (3,248 points), NCAA performance list: #34
Men's 60 meters: Isaac Garcia (6.87*), NCAA performance list: #25
*altitude conversion for time of 6.85
Men's high jump: Raymon Harper (2.07m / 6'-9 ½"), NCAA performance list: #12
Men's long jump: Raymon Harper (7.32m / 24'- ¼"), NCAA performance list: #9
Men's long jump: Jermel Jones (7.24m / 23'-9"), NCAA performance list: #14
Men's heptathlon: Chad Ponciano (5,077 points), NCAA performance list: #15
Men's heptathlon: Zach Muñoz (4,865 points), NCAA performance list: #28
Men's heptathlon: Weston Ellis (4,712 points), NCAA performance list: #41
