SEATTLE, Wash. – The Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers had four athletes hit the NAIA "A" Standard and qualify for the 2015 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships at the UW Preview on Saturday.
Harley McBride was the first EOU athlete to qualify for the NAIA Indoor National Championship. In the high jump, McBride entered at 1.59 meters (5-2 ½) and cleared 1.69 meters (5-6 ½) to hit the NAIA "A" standard to qualify for Nationals. McBride was eliminated on the next height and finished fourth in the high jump, finishing behind two NCAA D1 Athletes and a professional jumper.
Next to hit the NAIA "A" qualifier, for EOU, was
Hans Roelle in the 1,000 meter run. Roelle was competing against the US 3,000 meter steeplechase record holder Evan Jager and a 1,500 meter bronze medalist Matt Centrowitzin the World Championships, in the event. Roelle, the defending 1K national champion, ran a time of 2:26.81, to hit the automatic qualifying mark.
Reining NAIA women's indoor pole vault champion,
Talitha Fagen, hit the automatic mark in the pole vault. Fagen was the third member of the team to qualify, today, as she finished fifth in the event by clearing 3.75 meters (12-3 ½).
The last member of the team to hit the NAIA "A" standard today was
Isaac Updike. Updike participated in the 3,000 meter run, and finished his heat with a time of 8:26.10 to finish 13 seconds in front of the qualifying mark.
Other Mountaineers who were in action today was
Philip Gravatt and
Tyler Zyph in the 600 meter run. Competing in the first heat of the event, Zyph led Gravatt for the majority of the race; however, Gravatt passed Zyph in the final 200 meters. Gravatt finished with a time of 1:23.28, while Zyph finished with a time of 1:24.09.
Travis Simpson competed in the high jump and triple jump where he finished tied for 13th in the high jump and 13th in the triple jump. In the high jump, he cleared a height of 1.95 meters (6-4 ¾) on his first attempt, however, he did not clear 2.00 meters (6-6 ¾). Joining the triple jump late, due to competing in the high jump, Simpson came in and collected his farthest jump of 13.30 meters (43-7 ¾), on his final jump.
The final two members of the team that competed today were
Kendall Current and
Megan Sullivan in the 200 meter run. Current was the first to run and she claimed a time of 27.15, while Megan recorded a time of 26.72.
The Mountaineers return to action next Saturday, Jan. 24 when they travel to Nampa, Idaho to compete in the Bronco Invitational.