GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Eireann Donohoe on Sunday climbed on both the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Qualifying List and Western Colorado's top-10 list with her new personal record (PR) in the women's triple jump at the Maverick Top Gun Last Chance Meet, hosted by Colorado Mesa University at the CMU Track & Field Complex.
Donohoe popped the new PR on her fourth attempt, landing in the pit at the 12.44-meter mark (40 feet-09.75 inches). That leap improves her standing in the NCAA performance list from the 43rd-best jump nationally into the top 15. And previously fifth all-time on the Western list, Donohoe now sits in third.
One week after tapering and priming for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship meet, the Last Chance Meet is an opportunity for participants to improve on season-best performances in attempts to enter or improve on standings within the national qualifying list.
TOP GUN LAST CHANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Along with Donohoe's NCAA provisional improvement, teammate
Amaya Booker raced to her fastest time in the women's 200m dash under the 2.0 m/s wind-aided limit this season, posting a school record and NCAA provisional time of 24.29 seconds. Her season best of 24.25 was with a 4.5 m/s tailwind in the preliminary heats of the RMAC meet.
Booker led off Western's 4x100m relay, teaming with
Shynesti Johnson,
Mikayla Hutchison and
Myia Dantzler for a final time of 46.42. Though under the NCAA provisional time (46.75), the Mountaineer relay had previously surpassed the mark with a time of 46.32 (46.44 altitude adjusted) at the RMAC meet.
Albert Hesse shattered his season best (9:27.08) in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, Hesse hitting the tape first Sunday in a time of 9 minutes, 15.68 seconds. The Sea Level NCAA provisional standard is 9:13.44, but with the altitude adjustment applied Hesse should break into the qualifying list.
In the men's 1,500m run, Western's
Ryan Outler posted a season-best time of 3:52.32 to finish second in the event to teammate
Simon Kelati (3:52.03). Outler's previous best this season (3:53.33; 3:49.83 altitude adjusted) was already an NCAA provisional time, so Sunday's result should move him up the qualifying list. Kelati entered the Top Gun 34th nationally with a time of 3:51.85 (3:46.97 altitude adjusted) from the RMAC championship.
In the women's pole vault,
Choying O'Brien was looking to improve upon her placing in the qualifying list, 31st (3.85m / 12-07.50). On Sunday she cleared a height of 3.75m (12-03.50) but narrowly missed on three attempts at 3.90m.
UP NEXT
The NCAA championship qualifying period runs through May 15, 2022, and the Mountaineers will likely split their squad to attend different meets that pose the best situations for potential qualifiers.
