PUEBLO, Colo. - On the second of three days at the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Azusa Pacific set a new school record in the women's 4x400, had four athletes achieve All-American status in their respective events, and the Cougars raced their way into Saturday's track finals in four events.

4X400 SETS NEW SCHOOL RECORD

In the final event of the day for Azusa Pacific, the women's 4x400 relay of Kiayra Holmes, Alayna Verner, Esther Conde-Turpin and Jaylah Walker not only earned a spot in Saturday's finals, but they broke the school record in the event with a time of 3:38.48. The record-breaking time was fast enough to win the first heat and secure an automatic qualifying spot in the finals. The previous record in the relay was 3:38.56, which was run last season by Holmes, Verner, Walker and Jordan Hammond.

The Cougars have now broken two relay records at Nationals this week, as the 4x100 relay team of Trinity Miller, Holmes, Verner and Walker broke the school record in yesterday's prelims with a time of 44.75 seconds. The previous record of 44.93 was set last year by Verner, Walker, Holmes and Mechaela Hyacinth.

ALL-AMERICAN PERFORMANCES

After Jermel Jones II's national runner-up and school record performance in the long jump yesterday, Aaron Worrell added another runner-up finish for the men's team, as Worrell wrapped up the two days of competition in the decathlon with a total of 7,504 points to take second place and earn All-American distinction in the event for the second time in his career at Azusa Pacific. In the five events on Friday, Worrell had a pair of fourth place finishes, and in the javelin, he set a new career best mark at 50.80m (166' 8"). His runner-up finish earned eight points towards the team total. 

In the heptathlon, Alysa Henry earned All-American distinction for the third-consecutive year, as she scored a total of 5,551 points over the two days of competition to take third-place for her highest finish at outdoor Nationals. Each year, Henry made significant strides on the national stage in the heptathlon, as she was a second team All-American in 2021 with an 11th place finish, and then took sixth-place at Nationals last season. Henry's third-place finish scored six points for the Cougars' women's team.

Eliana Saunders turned in the third All-American performance of the day for Azusa Pacific, doing so in the women's high jump. Saunders cleared 1.71m (5' 7 ¼"), which earned her a fourth-place finish and five points towards the team total. It has been a breakout season for Saunders, as she earned the first All-American distinction of her career during the indoor season this winter, placing seventh at indoor Nationals in March.

For the second-consecutive year, Nixon Korir raced himself to All-American honors in the steeplechase, the event in which he is the program-record holder. After a seventh-place finish last spring, Korir took fifth-place this evening, posting a time of 9:18.56 and adding four points to the men's teams total. 

PRELIMS RECAP

Azusa Pacific qualified for Saturday's event finals in four different track events (including the record-breaking women's 4x400 relay) during Friday's preliminary rounds. Ben Sumner was the first qualifier of the day, as he earned his spot in the men's 800 meters final based off of his prelim time of 1:50.86. For Sumner, it will be his first time racing in the finals at Nationals. 

The women's team will have two athletes racing in the 100 hurdles final tomorrow, as both Esther Conde-Turpin and Jaylah Walker sealed their spots with top-2 finishes in their respective heats. Walker was second in the first heat at a time of 13.65 seconds, while Conde-Turpin won the third heat with a prelim time of 13.48 seconds.

TEAM SCORES HEADING INTO FINAL DAY

Heading into the final day of competition tomorrow, Azusa Pacific sits in sixth in the men's team standings with 20 points, while the Cougars are eighth on the women's side with 11 points. The men's team will have opportunities to score points in two events, while the women's team can score points in 11 events, with several events including multiple Cougars. 

The third and final day of Nationals will start tomorrow morning at 11:00 am MT (10:00 am PT). To follow the Cougar athletes competing, check out the Meet Central page right here on APUCougars.com, and tune in to the live results and live stream.