MARION, Ind. – The third and final day of the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship got underway Friday as one more Jessup student-athlete looked to leave their mark in Indiana. After two strong days of competition from her teammates, thrower Jessica Pedretti got her time in the limelight in the women's discus.
 
A trend throughout the week, heavy winds swirled around the track on Friday, creating difficult elements for student-athletes to compete through. In three flights, Pedretti posted a mark in just one, her third attempt, as the high winds resulted in a foul in her first two attempts.
 
Head coach Jeff Magley spoke on the elements, and Pedretti's performance, stating, "In the discus, it was a tough situation for Jessica starting with two fouls in tricky winds which creates a stressful environment. But she held her composure and made a good adjustment on her third throw."
 
Coming off an All-GSAC finish at the GSAC Championship one month ago, Pedretti posted a top mark of 41.00m (134' 6") on Friday. The mark finishes just over one foot under the distance Pedretti posted last season to wrap up her year in Gulf Shores, Ala.
 
Pedretti, who on Friday ended her second season with the Warriors, was competing on the national stage for the second year in a row.
 
Overall, the week saw five Warriors in competition across the three-day meet in Indiana. The action began on Wednesday with day one of the heptathlon, 400m hurdle, and the 10K. Action resumed on Thursday with the triple jump and final two events of the heptathlon.  
 
On the week overall, Mageley stated, "It was an exciting National Championships for the Warriors. It's great for our track & field program to continue to have a presence on the national level, and we saw that again for the third year in a row with at least five national qualifiers."
 
Competing this week for the Warriors were Pedretti, Jayden Jackson, Azalea Prince, Alexis Jones, and Kamil Jones. Only Jackson was making her NAIA National Championship debut.
 
Magley made sure to single out the seniors on his team, Alexis and Kamil, adding, "Special appreciation to both Kamil and Lexi as they close out their collegiate careers having represented Jessup at the highest level."
 
Alexis Jones wraps up her career, having qualified for an NAIA National Championship five times, the second most in program history. For Kamil Jones, the trip to Nationals was his second.
 
The 2023 NAIA National Championship took place at Indiana Wesleyan University, where it will return to in the 2024 season which expects to be the Warriors' final one as members of the NAIA.
   
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).