HAYWARD, Calif. – One final chance for athletes to punch their ticket to nationals awaited the Warriors on Sunday, as seven athletes took part in the West Coast Last Chance Meet. With three Warriors already secured a trip to Indiana, two more earned the right to join them with their record-breaking performances on Sunday.
"It was a great meet for the Warriors today," head coach
Jeff Magley said. "Great way to close out the regular season. The name of the meet kind of says a lot. Being a last-chance meet, it's the last chance for those student-athletes with goals and aspirations to make it to the national championship.
Those who had already met the national qualifying standard are
Kamil Jones (400m Hurdle),
Azalea Prince (10K), and
Jayden Jackson (Heptathlon). With their showing on Sunday,
Alexis Jones and
Jessica Pedretti will join them in the Midwest later this month.
For both Jones and Pedretti, it will be a repeat trip as the duo also qualified for nationals in 2022.
Jones, who hit the qualifying mark in the triple jump, qualifies for an NAIA Track & Field National Championship for the fifth time in her career. On top of her individual qualifications in the triple jump, Jones was also a member of the 4x400 relay team that set records at Jessup early in her collegiate career.
Sunday saw Jones hit a mark of 11.57m, setting a new PR for the senior. Jones entered Sunday as the Jessup record holder in the event, meaning that her mark sets a new Jessup record for the triple jump.
On Jones' performance, Magley added, "It's so awesome to have her making that trip back to nationals in her final year competing for Jessup. What an honor."
Pedretti also had a record-breaking performance, posting a top mark of 43.63m in the women's discus. It's a new PR for Pedretti and breaks her own record in the event. Pedretti also took first in the shot put on Sunday, finishing with a mark of 11.48m.
For Pedretti, in her second season with the Warriors, the trip to nationals will be her second.
"This is just an awesome accomplishment to qualify for nationals for the second year in a row," added Magley. "She came through when it counted, and she needed a big throw, and she executed and did a great job."
The three other Warriors who already secured a trip to nationals tuned up their skills in events outside of the one they will compete in at nationals. Jones competed in the 200m and 400m, while Prince ran the 5K. Jackson competed three times, posting a second-place finish in the shot put to go along with her marks in the 200m and 100m hurdle.
Others in the competition included
Jennifer Pedretti, who ended her collegiate career with a PR in the 400m.
Erica Waseq competed in the 100m, one week after winning Freshman of the Meet at the GSAC Championship. Waseq posted the second-fastest time of her career on Sunday, adding a PR in the 200m.
Next on the schedule for those who have qualified for nationals is the event they have worked towards all season. The Warriors will get a few weeks to prepare before jumping on a flight bound for Indiana and the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship.
Nationals in 2023 is a change of scenery for those returning from 2022 as the event moves from Alabama to Indiana and the campus of Indiana Wesleyan. Day one of the national championship gets underway on May 24.
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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).
