By Jared Fields, Managing Editor
Expectations for the first indoor meet of the year are to achieve personal goals and compete well.
But the ACU track team returned with nine provisional qualifiers from the Wes Kittley Invitational in Lubbock this weekend.
Seven women and two men earned spots for the national indoor meet. Only one athlete, Sasharine McLarty, earned spots in two events, the 55-meters and 200-meters.
“I didn’t really plan for it but eventually it just happened,” McLarty said.
McLarty, a 200 and 400-meter sprinter, said she didn’t know she was being entered in the 55-meters until before leaving for the meet.
“They told us before I left here,” McLarty said. “It was my best time.”
Head coach Don Hood called McLarty’s performance a “pleasant surprise.”
“We knew she was good but I was impressed with how fit she was coming in,” Hood said. “She has more in her.”
Three pole vaulters also earned provisional marks: Angie Aguilar, Elizabeth Buyse and Kyle Dennis. Aguilar cleared a height of 12-5.50 feet, and Buyse a height of 11-5.75 feet. Dennis qualified with a height of 16-1.75 feet.
“Kyle was a foot and a half under what he has jumped before,” Hood said. “He’ll get accustomed.”
Triple jumper Vladyslav Gorbenko earned the second qualifying mark for the men with a jump of 50-10.00 feet for second place at the meet.
Cross-country champion Nicodemus Naimadu placed fourth in the mile with a time of 4:21.34.
Hood said it takes distance runners longer to get into shape and he’s not worried about the results.
“Nicodemus had sinus problems so he’s going to be fine,” Hood said. “He was 10 seconds faster than he was in this meet last year.”
Hood attributed the success at the meet to his team’s dedication during fall workouts. While the teams were far from full, those who went proved themselves to Hood.
“I know our fall workouts were much more intense than the year before,” Hood said. “I hope it’s just an increase in intensity on their part, they trained a lot more than last year.”
Hood didn’t keep athletes out because of any problems, he said some events, such as the mile relay, just need more time before they can be ready to compete.
“We need two or three weeks of training,” Hood said. “By Nebraska and Arkansas our team will fill out a lot.”
The Wildcats don’t have a meet this weekend and will return to competition Feb. 2-3 in Lincoln, Neb. or Lubbock for the Texas Tech Open.
INDOOR NATIONALS QUALIFIERS
Nine ACU track and field athletes provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships in Boston on March 9-10.
- Sasharine McLarty, 55m, 200m
- Shawna-Kaye Thompson,w 60m hurdles
- Angie Aguilar, pole vault
- Elizabeth Buyse, pole vault
- Keva Wilkins, 400m
- Denise Morgan, 800m
- Kim Prather, 55m
- Kyle Dennis, pole vault
- Vladyslav Gorbenko, triple jump
