Last Chance Qualifier Recap

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Not wanting to miss an opportunity to place more qualifiers into the NAIA National Track and Field Championship, the Pioneers took 21 athletes to Pittsburg State's new track and field complex. What they ended up with was four personal bests, four B-standard National qualifications, one A-standard qualification and one school record. Besides the A and B-standard marks, the NAIA has an additional qualifier that states that any individual or relay in the top 20 rankings automatically qualifies, except the decathlon and heptathlon, which are set at 16. Each of the new qualifying marks for the Pioneers on Saturday placed them in the top 20.
 
Representing the field events, Rachel Nisly landed a personal best in the discus throw to get the Pioneers started. Meanwhile, Nora Powers set off a rocket in the javelin to add to her collection of B-standard qualifying marks for Nationals. Her current best for the season places her at sixteenth in the NAIA.
 
On the track, beginning with the sprints, the Men's 4x100 Relay, Gift Orionoma, Kortez Washington, Lance Jones, and Jatavion Pegues, hit their fastest time of the season to land at 13th in the NAIA with a B-standard mark.
 
The continual improvement in the 400-meter hurdles led Jones and Sam Keita toward personal bests. Their top personal performances gave them B-standard qualifying marks where they currently hold the thirteenth and fifteenth spots, respectively, in the NAIA nation.
 
Freshman Benn Schnelle kept the personal bests coming as he dropped 0.18 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, a mere 0.13 seconds from an NAIA qualifying mark.
 
Senior Nikiwe Mongwe was in good form as she exploded out of the blocks and quickly took the lead in the 200-meter dash. She was all alone, coming off the curve while the competition strove to catch her. With this win, Mongwe grabbed the school record in the outdoor 200-meter dash while running an A-standard qualifying time which placed her as #2 in the NAIA.
 
In the final event of the evening, the Men's 4x400 team of Isaiah Keezer, Orionoma, Fardis Hossinei, and Timarian Rozell ran the Pioneer's best time of the season, trying to beat at least 3:15. They were pitted against two unattached teams, both of Pittsburg State origin, one of them, all coaches. Within the first leg, the Pioneers knew that they would have to do this alone. They fought to the end, but had no one to push them, missing the B-standard time by less than a second.
 
Overall, the Pioneers ended up with four additional NAIA National Track and Field Championship qualifying athletes over four events.