Wildcats qualify 23 for national meet

ACU men in position to retain title; women in good spot, too

ABILENE – Abilene Christian University is in prime position to defend its men's outdoor championship, and the women's team will be a contender for the team championship next week at the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships at ACU's Elmer Gray Stadium.

The ACU men's team qualified 12 athletes in 11 events as well as both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, while the ACU women's team qualified 11 athletes in nine events as well as both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.

The meet will get started next Thursday, May 26, with the final day of the championships set for Saturday, May 28. ACU is the three-time defending outdoor men's national champion and the reigning indoor champion, while the women's team is looking for its first outdoor title since 1999.

On the men's side, the Wildcats' old rival, St. Augustine's, will be the top contender to ACU's throne, especially in the running events where the Wildcats have 13 entries in eight events, while St. Aug's has 12 entries in five events. St. Aug's has three entries in the 110-meter hurdles and the four in the 400-meters, including the top three led by Adrian Findlay.

The Wildcats, however, have their usual depth in the middle-distance and distance races that St. Augustine's won't be able to match. ACU has the top-ranked entry in the 400 meters (indoor champion Marvin Essor at 46.23) and 3000 steeplechase and 5000 meters (5000 meter indoor champion Nicodemus Naimadu).

ACU sophomore Marvin Bien-Aime, who finished a surprising second in the 200 meters at last year's outdoor championship meet, will run in four events next week. He's ranked No. 5 in both the 100 meters and 200 meters going into the meet, and he's part of both the Wildcats' 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, which are ranked sixth and third, respectively, going into the meet.

The Wildcats have a trio of triple-jumpers, all ranked in the top seven going into the meet. Defending national champion Yevgen Pashchenko – who won the indoor long jump in March – is ranked No. 3, followed by 2003 outdoor national champion Ben Washington at No. 6 and freshman Vladyslav Gorbenko at No. 7.

"We've got really good quality and good depth on the men's side," ACU head coach Jon Murray said. "We'll do our job in the middle-distance and distance and jumps, and we'll score a lot of points."

On the women's side, the Wildcats have more entries throughout the entirety of the meet than they have had in recent years. ACU has entries in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, 3000 meters, 3000 steeplechase and 5000 meters, as well as the two relays, on the running side. But the Wildcats' depth in the field events is shallow with just the pole vault trio of Katie Eckley, Val Gorter and Angie Aguilar in the field events.

However, the Wildcats could score some big points in the running events, especially in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, 3000 meters and steeplchase. Adeh Mwamba is ranked No. 1 in the 1500 meters and No. 2 in the 800 meters going into the meet, while Trina Cox is 10 seconds better than the No. 2 runner in the steeplechase going into the meet. Olha Kryv'yak is ranked No. 5 in the 1500 meters and No. 6 in the 3000 meters, while Denise Morgan is ranked No. 8 in the 800 meters.

Sisters Jessica and Brooklyn Hunt are each in several events with Jessica at No. 6 in the 100 meters, No. 11 in the 200 meters and on both relays, while Brooklyn is No. 12 in the 200 meters and No. 15 in the 400 meters and on both relay teams.

"We've got even better depth than we’ve had the last few years on the women's side," Murray said. "The opportunity is there for the women to do really well in this meet. Our strengths will obviously be in the middle distance and the relays, and that's where the battle for the championship will be won. Whoever does better in those areas out of ACU, Lincoln, St. Augustine’s and Adams State will win the championship."

On the women's side, nine defending national champions in 10 events are returning this year, including Lincoln standout sprinter Shandria Brown, who won both the 100 meters and 200 meters last year in Walnut, Calif.

A pair of NCAA Division II record-holders are in the field in pole vaulter Chaunte Mitchell of Cal State-Stanislaus and thrower Cecilia Barnes of traditional throwing powerhouse Cal State-Bakersfield.

Mitchell holds the all-time Division II record in the pole vault at 13-5.25, while Amanda Frame of Minnesota State-Mankato is No. 2 in the field and No. 2 all-time at 13-4.25. ACU's Eckley and Gorter have both held the all-time record, meaning four record-holders will be in the pole vault field.

Barnes is No. 1 all-time in the discus throw with a throw of 191-10.00, while her teammate, April Burton, is ranked No. 3 all-time at 178-9.00. Burton is the top-ranked athlete in the hammer throw going into the meet with a throw of 207-2.00, which ranks her third on the all-time list.

Another athlete on the women's side to keep an eye on is freshman high jumper Lavern Spencer of Albany State, who jumped 6-3.50 and is the No. 2 all-time performer in the event. She could be a threat to break the all-time record of 6-4.75 set May 24, 2002, at the national championship meet by ACU’s Maresa Cadienhead.

On the me's side, only seven defending champions are back in the field to defend their titles, including ACU's Pashchenko in the triple jump and Angelo State high jumper Will Littleton.

Other athletes besides the defending champions to watch for are Morehouse all-around standout Cameron Dayne and Cal State-Bakersfield thrower Van Mounts. Dayne is entered in five events, including the 4x100 relay. He is the top-ranked long-jumper and top-ranked triple-jumper entering the meet, and he is ranked No. 2 in the 200 meters and No. 4 in the 100 meters.

Mounts could be eyeing the NCAA Division II all-time best ever of 63-10.25, set by ACU’s Ahmed Shata on May 24, 1986. Mounts enters the meet as the No. 1-ranked thrower with a mark of 63-9.50, which puts him in the No. 2 position on the all-time performer list.

ACU QUALIFERS
Men
100 meters – 5. Marvin Bien-Aime, 10.39; 24. Elton Garus-Oab, 10.63.
200 meters – 5. Marvin Bien-Aime, 21.01; 23. Ricardo Johnson, 21.29.
400 meters – 1. Marvin Essor, 46.23; 13. Delt Cockrell, 47.36; 19. Ricardo Johnson, 47.64.
800 meters – 5. Lucky Hadebe, 1:50.11.
1500 meters – 2. Lucky Hadebe, 3:44.03.
3000 Steeplechase – 1. Nicodemus Naimadu, 8:40.50.
5000 meters – 1. Nicodemus Naimadu, 13:39.37; 21. Laurant Ngirakamaro, 14:39.47.
10,000 meters – 3. Laurant Ngirakamaro, 29:26.25.
4x100 relay – 6. Abilene Christian, 40.51.
4x400 relay – 3. Abilene Christian, 3:09.89.
Pole vault – 6. Cory Aguilar, 16-11.00
Long jump – 8. Yevgen Pashchenko, 24-2.50; 9. Tarrant Fuller, 24-1.00.
Triple jump – 3. Yevgen Pashchenko, 51-5.75; 6. Ben Washington, 49-10.00; 7. Vladyslav Gorbenko, 49-8.25.

Women
100 meters – 5. Shawna-Kaye Thompson, 11.73; 6. Jessica Hunt, 11.75.
200 meters – 11. Jessica Hunt, 24.25; 12. Brooklyn Hunt, 24.30.
400 meters – 11. Keva Wilkins, 55.49; 15. Brooklyn Hunt, 55.97.
800 meters – 2. Adeh Mwamba, 2:09.13; 8. Denise Morgan, 2:11.93.
1500 meters – 1. Adeh Mwamba, 4:21.61; 5. Olha Kryv’yak, 4:28.50.
3000 meters – 6. Olha Kryv’yak, 9:51.03.
3000 Steeplechase – 1. Trina Cox, 10:26.28.
5000 meters – 10. Trina Cox, 17:15.13.
4x100 relay – 3. Abilene Christian, 45.66.
4x400 relay – 4. Abilene Christian, 3:42.83.
Pole vault – 5. Katie Eckley, 12-9.00; 7. Val Gorter, 12-6.00; 8. Angie Aguilar, 12-6.00.