The 2021 Azusa Pacific track & field season is just around the corner, with the Cougars' tentative outdoor schedule set to begin in early March. "It is very exciting to finally be returning to competition," said Azusa Pacific head coach Jack Hoyt, "the collective anticipation and excitement among our student-athletes and coaches has been building over the past few weeks, and we are eager to compete again." In addition to competing on a national level, both the men's and women's programs are current four-time defending PacWest Champions and will be seeking their fifth consecutive conference titles this spring.
 

Tentative 2021 Cougar Track & Field Schedule
 

Women's Track & Field Season Preview
 

Coach Hoyt on the 2021 women's team: "I believe that our women's team not only has the potential to win some events at Nationals, but that we could finish in the top five in the country as a team. We have athletes in just about every event who are capable of being All-Americans, which make this an exciting year." 
 

Pole Vault: Amanda Fassold, Abigail Gray and Sara Wagenveld are three proven veterans that are set to compete for Azusa Pacific this year. Fassold was a 2019 All-American and also holds the school-record in the event (13' 5 ¼"), while Wagenveld and Gray were 2020 Indoor All-Region performers and are third and fourth, respectively, in school history. "The pole vault will be a big event for us this year, with these three each capable of competing at an All-American level," said Hoyt.
 

High Jump: The high jump is another event in which the Cougars will be strong this spring. Leading the way is Chin Agina, a two-time All-American that has established herself among the elite on a national level and will certainly be capable of scoring big at Nationals. Abi Hume will also return this season in the high jump, entering the year in twelfth place in program history with the capability of elevating her performance for the team. In addition to the veterans, Eliana Saunders is a true freshman and a 2020 Washington State Champion that could make a run at Nationals this year. 
 

Throws: Leading the throws group is Elle Alexander, who has had quite the decorated career as a Cougar thus far. Alexander is a two-time PacWest Champion in the discus, a conference champion in the hammer, a two-time NCAA Outdoor Qualifier, three-time USTFCCCA selection, and second all-time in school history in the discus. Through her first two outdoor meets of 2020, Alexander was the nation's leader in the hammer & discus. Molly Olson, who was a true freshman with the Cougars last season, will add depth in the shot put & discus.
 

Javelin: Kirsten Mury, an All-PacWest performer in 2019, will help lead the way in the javelin. Additionally, the Cougars will have depth in the event with Wagenveld, Olson and Allie Brooks all poised to have a solid season. Last season, Brooks began the year with personal bests in the javelin before the season was shut down because of the pandemic. "I think that our javelin group has the potential to produce two or three athletes that could reach Nationals in the event and five PacWest scorers," said Hoyt.
 

Sprints: The Cougars are eager to have Mechaela Hyacinth back for her third season, as she is poised to add on to her list of accolades that includes All-American distinction in both indoor (2020 - 60 meters) and outdoor (2019 - 100 meters), school record-holder in the 60 meters (7.39), and a PacWest championship in the 100 meters. Another key returner is Jaylah Walker, who was an indoor All-American last season in the 400 meters, and has outdoor Nationals experience as she qualified in 2018 in the 400 hurdles. Walker also serves as the veteran leader of the Cougar relay teams, a group that is expected to have an excellent season. Last year, the Cougars 4x400 indoor relay team of Walker, Meagan Warwick, Ki'Ana Thomas and Kiayra Holmes were named All-Americans for their indoor Nationals qualification. From that team, all but Thomas returns this season, and the Cougars have depth for the relays. Jordan Hammond, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, brings tremendous speed and experience to the group. In 2018, Hammond finished second in NCAA Division II for the 400 hurdles and was named an outdoor All-American. Another newcomer that will provide depth this season is Brynn Santos, who arrives to Azusa Pacific from Division I Kent State. Marian Ledesma, who has ran mid-distance and cross country for the Cougars over the past two seasons, has been training for relays and could be another strong competitor.
 

Multis: Nicole Warwick and Hammond will be competing for the Cougars in the multis. The Cougars are excited to see what Warwick can do this year, as she is the healthiest that she has been in the last two years. Warwick has experience competing at Nationals, where she placed second in the pentathlon at the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, and was also an All American long jumper Indoor and Outdoor that same year. This season will be the first in Hammond's career that she will turn her focus towards training for competition in the multis.
 

Distance: Hoyt believes that newcomer Jennifer Sandoval (transfer from San José State) has the potential to carry on the rich legacy of Azusa Pacific distance running this season, "Jennifer brings scoring power for us in the 5K and the 10K, both events in which she has the ability to be top-five in the nation." Last year at SJSU, Sandoval finished second in the 5K at the 2020 Mountain West Indoor Championships. 
 

Men's Track & Field Season Preview
 

Coach Hoyt on the 2021 men's team: "We have the capability to score some points at Nationals with several athletes who have the talent to be among the best in the country," said Hoyt, "we also have a large group of young athletes who will be able to use this season as a great opportunity to develop and gain experience."
 

Jumps: Raymon Harper (high jump) and Jermel Jones II (long jump), both Indoor All-Americans last year, will be returning for the Cougars. Harper had a career-best jump of 6' 10 ¾", which placed him sixth in school history and was a top-20 mark in the nation. Jones II posted a top-20 mark as well last season, as his leap of 24' 3" tied him for 16th in the country and was the 10th best mark in program history. "Raymon and Jermel are on course for outstanding careers," said Hoyt, "this extra year will be especially huge for them as it allows them to reach even higher levels."
 

Sprints: Nearly every year, the Cougars' 4x400 relay team is considered a contender for Nationals, and 2021 will be no different. The team is projected to be made up of Daniel Bessolo (near indoor Nationals qualifier last year and one of the team's top sprinters), Ben Sumner (mid-distance), newcomer Jonathan Lozano (solid 400 runner), and Lincoln Krog (decathlete). "Each of these guys bring unique abilities to the team, and together they should have a strong shot at qualifying for Nationals," said Hoyt. Nikolas Trofort, who was indoor All-Region last year and a 2019 All-PacWest performer in the 100 meters, is in his third season at Azusa Pacific and will be a solid competitor in his individual events, while also providing depth in the relays. 
 

Multis: Krog and Chad Ponciano are poised to have a strong season this year in the decathlon. Ponciano is looking to bounce back from a season-ending injury that he suffered this past winter. The injury occured during an indoor meet in which he was well on his way to posting an automatic qualifying score for Nationals. Over the course of training this fall and winter, he has shown all the signs of recovery and appears to be rounding back into form. For Krog, it will be his second collegiate season. As a freshman last year, he earned indoor All-Region distinction in the heptathlon. "Lincoln has been training very hard," said Hoyt, "He really does not appear to have an area of weakness so far and I think that he is going to surprise quite a few people this spring." The decathlon should be an event in which Azusa Pacific is represented at Nationals, as Hoyt believes Krog and Ponciano both should qualify.
 

Throws: Weston Ellis, the 2019 PacWest Decathlon Champion and an All-PacWest performer in the discus and shot put, will lead the way for the Cougars in the throwing events. "Weston has added a lot of muscle since he shifted away from the decathlon, and that should result in all-conference marks in multiple events with things flying a lot further," said Hoyt. Ellis has also been learning the hammer event recently.