By Chandler Harris, Assistant Sports Editor
The track and field teams competed in three meets last week, and four athletes earned automatically qualifying bids to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in May. On Tuesday, three multi-athletes traveled to San Angelo for the David Noble Angelo State Multis. On Thursday, more athletes competed in San Angelo, while others traveled to Lubbock for the Texas Tech Invitational.
No athletes qualified with their performances at the San Angelo Multis, but head coach Don Hood said he was encouraged by what he saw.
“It was Amber Brooks’ first outdoor meet and it was an opportunity for her and Andy Henson to learn what it’s all about,” Hood said. “Amber is fighting a really bad tooth problem and she fought through that pain and competed for the most part really well.”
Hood said Henson looked fantastic and had some great flashes of brilliance, but they were not enough to do what he wanted to do.
“He learned what his weaknesses are and can use that to get better,” Hood said. “James Hardin had a really good day up until the pole vault, and the winds shifted on him. He could have qualified had he cleared a bar but he will do another one here before long.”
The throwers and pole vaulters fought strong winds in San Angelo on Thursday as three pole vaulters earned automatic qualifying bids. Callie Young, Landon Ehlers and Cory Altenberg all earned bids with their performances.
Young jumped a personal best of 12 feet, 11.5 inches despite the high winds in San Angelo. Ehlers cleared 16-6, while Altenberg improved his previous mark by jumping 16-10.75. Nick Jones won the discus and placed second in the shot put.
The Texas Tech Invitational was delayed three hours Thursday evening due to high winds.
“The winds died down, but then it got really cold once the sun went down, but I was really proud of how they hung in there and competed,” Hood said. “We came out relatively injury free. That was the thing I was most worried about in that kind of weather.”
Hood said Amos Sang was the highlight for the Wildcats in Lubbock. Sang finished just five seconds behind the automatic qualifying mark in the 5,000-meter. Desmond Jackson hit an automatic qualifying mark by running the 200-meter in 21 seconds flat.
“Desmond’s mark is the best ever for him and the second in the nation so far this season,” Hood said.
Jordan Johnson hit a provisional mark in the 400-meter by running a 47.45. Harold Jackson was just .02 of a second away from hitting an automatic mark in the 400-meter hurdles.
“If we can get Harold in that, that would add some depth to an event where we haven’t had anyone for a while,” Hood said.
On the women’s side, Kim Prather hit an automatic mark in the 200-meter; Azraa Rounds hit a provisional mark in the 400-meter and the 4-by-100-meter relay team hit a provisional mark as well.
This weekend, the Wildcats will split up once again with some of the distance runners, javelin thrower Linda Brivule and a few jumpers traveling to Walnut, Calif., to the Mt. SAC Relays. The rest of the Wildcats competing will travel to Baylor for the Michael Johnson Classic on Saturday.
Hood said the Mt. SAC Relays would have good competition for the distance runners, including some international competitors. The Michael Johnson Classic will consist of mostly Texas schools in addition to Colorado.
