Gunnison, Colo. --- Western Colorado track and field has a successful final day of competition leading into the NCAA Championships. The day included improvements on two school records and multiple athletes putting themselves in place to have a chance at qualifying for the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
At the Azusa Last Chance Twilight, the women's 4x400-meter relay team consisting of
Bailey Sharon,
Kaiya Firor,
Mackenzie Burt, and
Kelia Portis broke their own school record by running a time of 3:44.70 to give them a provisional mark. They won the event with their record setting performance and this breaks their previous record by over a second, putting them in better positioning to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Bailey Sharon also went on to break her own record in the 800-meter by crossing the line first in a time of 2:05.74. With her new school record, Sharon now holds the top time in division two for the 800-meter heading into the NCAA Championships. She will likely compete in both the 800-meter and the 4x400-meter relay at Nationals.
Taylor Stack and
Charlie Sweeney both clocked fast times in the 5,000-meter at the Sound Running – The Track Meet. Stack finished sixth overall with an automatic qualifying time of 13:48.52, which also places him No. 5 on the Western All-Time list and earns him his third automatic time of the season (1,500-meter, 3,000-meter steeplechase, and 5,000-meter). Sweeney finished No. 11 in a time of 14:00.52, giving him a provisional time that will likely just miss making the qualifying list in the event. Sweeney already has an automatic qualifying time in the 10,000-meter.
In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Azusa Last Chance Twilight,
Evan Sutherland,
Michael Grabowski, and
Cade Michael all placed in the top eight. Sutherland led the charge for the Mountaineers as he finished second overall, crossing the line in 8:55.51 that gives him a good chance of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Grabowski came across the line in fifth place after running 8:56.89, that will put him right on the bubble for Nationals. Michael finished eighth overall with his time of 9:21.77.
Jessica Cusick improved on her No. 4 Western All-Time mark in the women's 800-meter after clocking a 2:09.00 at the Azusa Last Chance Twilight. Cusick's old record does have an altitude conversion that bests her 2:09.00 performance (2:08.40@) and that currently ranks her No. 6 in division two, punching her a ticket to the NCAA Championships.
In the women's 5,000-meter,
Katie Doucette finished seventh overall at the Azusa Last Chance Twilight in provisional time of 16:49.07. With this time, she will finish the season ranked roughly No. 27 in division two.
Winning the men's javelin at the Mines Last Chance meet was Western Colorado's
Graham Butcher who threw the spear 58.66-meters (192' 5") to win the event. Butcher currently holds the school record in the javelin with his throw of 61.45-meters (201' 7") that currently ranks him No. 21 in division two.
The NCAA Qualifying List will be released early next week, from there those selected Mountaineers will continue to train for the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for May 27-29 in Allendale, Michigan.
