SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Azusa Pacific track & field opened two days of competition at the PacWest Track & Field Championships on Friday, and following the first day of competition, the Cougars sit atop the team standings on both the men's and women's side. Overall, the Cougars had eight athletes earn individual conference titles in their respective events, and Azusa Pacific set five meet records.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY ONE

PODIUM PERFORMANCES

The men's team had five event winners on Friday, while the women's team captured three individual titles. 

In the men's long jump, Jermel Jones II became the three-time defending champion, leaping 7.50m (24' 7 ¼") on his fourth try of the competition. Joey Rauwerda, a true freshman who competed in his first PacWest Championship meet, won the men's pole vault with a clearance of 4.60m (15' 1"). In the men's shot put, Weston Ellis not only took first place, but his furthest throw of 53.74m (176' 3") set a PacWest meet record, personal record, and moved him up to No. 8 on the provisional qualifying list. 

Sara Wagenveld and Luisa Fischer won events for the women's team in the field events, as Wagenveld won the pole vault for the second time in her career, and Fischer stood atop the podium in the javelin in her conference meet debut. Wagenveld won with a clearance of 3.90m (12' 9 ½"), and Fischer reached a distance of 45.18m (148' 2") in her first attempt of the day. 

On the track, the Cougars won three distance races, all of which set meet records. In the men's steeplechase, Ayrton Ledesma posted a meet record time of 8:57.31 to win the event. Riley Burns won the men's 10K with a lifetime best effort of 30:36.62 to break the meet record in the event. Jenny Sandoval closed out day one in the women's 10K, where she ran a meet record time of 34:53.19 to take first place.

In addition to the Cougars' first-place finishers, several athletes also reached the podium due to their efforts. 

In the field events, Logan Peyton was a second-place finisher in the men's javelin with a mark of 57.13m (187' 5"), and Nicole Warwick was the women's long jump runner-up at 5.98m (19' 7 ½"). On the track, Nixon Korir took second in the steeplechase with a lifetime best time of 8:58.46. 

The Cougars also had five third-place finishers on day one, with Molly Olson in the women's javelin (personal record & provisional distance of 43.63m/143' 1"), Lincoln Krog in the men's pole vault (4.50m/14' 9"), Abigail Gray in the women's pole vault (3.80m/12' 5 ½"), Wagenveld in the discus (41.62m/136' 6") and Justine Stecko in the women's 10K (37:47.87).

POINT SCORERS

On Friday, the men's team had 15 different athletes combine for 108 points, while the women had 11 athletes combine for a total of 73 points. 

Men's Point Scorers 

Logan Peyton - Javelin (57.13m/187' 5") | 2nd - 8 pts. 

Lincoln Krog - Javelin (personal record of 50.59m/165' 11") | 4th - 5 pts. 

Seth Storlie - Javelin (personal record of 47.01m/134' 9") | 7th - 2 pts. 

Aaron Worrell - Javelin (40.32m/132' 3") | 8th - 1 pt.

Jermel Jones II - Long Jump (7.50m/24' 7 ¼") | 1st - 10 pts.

Isaiah Harris - Long Jump (7.06m/23' 2") | 4th - 5 pts.

Raymon Harper - Long Jump (7.04m/23' 1 ¼") | 5th - 4 pts.

Lincoln Krog - Long Jump (6.96m/22' 10") | 7th - 2 pts.

Aaron Worrell - Long Jump (6.94m/22' 9 ¼") | 8th - 1 pt.

Joey Rauwerda - Pole Vault (4.60m/15' 1") | 1st - 10 pts.

Lincoln Krog - Pole Vault (4.50m/14' 9") | 3rd - 6 pts.

Nicholas Jordan - Pole Vault (3.65m/11' 11 ¾") | 7th - 2 pts.

Weston Ellis - Discus (personal record of 53.74m/176' 3") | 1st - 10 pts.

Lincoln Krog - Discus (38.88m/127' 6") | 7th - 2 pts.

Ayrton Ledesma - Steeplechase (8:57.31) | 1st - 10 pts.

Nixon Korir - Steeplechase (8:58.46) | 2nd - 8 pts.

Riley Burns - 10K (30:36.62) | 1st - 10 pts.

Michael Schneider - 10K (30:53.53) | 4th - 5 pts.

Dider Sandoval - 10K (31:34.54) | 5th - 4 pts.

Women's Point Scorers

Luisa Fischer - Javelin (45.18m/148' 2") | 1st - 10 pts.

Molly Olson - Javelin (personal record & provisional qualifier of 43.63m/143' 1") | 3rd - 6 pts.

Nicole Warwick - Javelin (42.51m/139' 5") | 4th - 5 pts.

Alysa Henry - Javelin (personal record & provisional qualifier of 42.33m/138' 10") | 5th - 4 pts.

Allie Brooks - Javelin (40.44m/132' 8") | 6th - 3 pts.

Sara Wagenveld - Javelin (39.34m/129' 1") - 7th - 2pts.

Nicole Warwick - Long Jump (5.98m/19' 7 1.2") | 2nd - 8 pts.

Alysa Henry - Long Jump (5.49m/18' ¼") | 5th - 4 pts.

Luisa Fischer - Long Jump (4.95m/16' 3") | 8th - 1 pt.

Sara Wagenveld - Pole Vault (3.90m/12' 9 ½") | 1st - 10 pts.

Abigail Gray - Pole Vault (3.80m/12' 5 ½") | 3rd - 6 pts.

Abby Keane - Pole Vault (3.45m/11' 3 ¾") | 6th - 3 pts.

Sara Wagenveld - Discus (41.62m/136' 6") | 3rd - 6 pts.

Molly Olson - Discus (39.11m/128' 3") | 7th - 2 pts.

Olivia Segura - Steeplechase (12:07.49) | 6th - 3 pts.

Jenny Sandoval - 10K (34:53.19) | 1st - 10 pts.

Justine Stecko - 10K (37:47.87) | 3rd - 6 pts.

TRACK QUALIFIERS

Azusa Pacific had a total of 40 athletes run preliminary races on Friday in an effort to qualify for event finals on Saturday. 35 Cougars clinched spots for Saturday. Jaylah Walker provided a highlight for the Cougars in the preliminary action, as Walker set a meet record in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.51 seconds. Her time also moved her up to No. 2 on the national qualifying list. Alayna Verner and Kiayra Holmes also improved upon their provisional standing on Friday, as both athletes ran in the 400 prelims. Verner ran the fastest time of the day at 54.08, which puts her No. 5 on the national list. Holmes ran a personal-best time of 55.49 seconds to move up to No. 24 in the nation for the event.

Personal Records Set in Friday Prelims

Ayrton Ledesma - 1500m | 3:57.84

Aaron Worrell - 110H | 15.01

Lincoln Krog - 110H | 15.57

Alayna Verner - 400m | 54.08

Kiayra Holmes - 400m | 55.49

Nikolas Trofort - 100m | 10.65

Sid Varland - 100m | 10.91

Dominic Gonzalez-Shelmire - 200m | 21.45

Sid Varland - 200m | 21.93

Ashanti Perkins - 200m | 25.12

MULTIS

Azusa Pacific has four athletes competing in multis this weekend, with Molly Olson and Ashley Hume in the heptathlon, while Keniko Parham and Nicholas Jordan are in the decathlon. 

Olson and Hume completed four events on Friday with three more to go on Saturday, and Hume is currently in third with 2,479 points, while Olson is right behind in fourth at 2,415 points. Hume won the high jump event with a personal-best clearance of 1.63m (5' 4 ¼"), while Olson won the shot put (11.30m/37' 1") and the 200 with a personal record of 26.51 seconds.

In the decathlon through five events with four to go on Saturday, Parham is in first with 2,899 points, while Jordan is third at 2,285 points. Parham won three events with lifetime best marks (shot put - 10.99m/36' ¾" | high jump - 1.66m/5' 5 ¼" | 400 - 55.16).