ROCKLIN, Calif. – In a season that spanned nearly five months, the goal was the same for all Warriors in 2023, punch a ticket to Indiana. With records broken seemingly every week, and PRs being set on the regular, the Warriors produced another strong season in 2023, culminating with five Warriors competing on the biggest stage.
 
A change to the NAIA landscape from years prior was the final destination of the track season. Nationals moved to Indiana in 2023, a change from previous years in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
 
The 2023 season got its start in January, as two Warriors were first to compete at the Reno Pole Vault Summit. The remainder of the roster would make their season debut at the Sunshine Open, an event that saw two Jessup records broken.
 
February was a strong month for the Warriors as it culminated with three student-athletes earning GSAC Athlete of the Month honors. Those three being Azalea Prince, Kamil Jones, and Jessica Pedretti. Pedretti would add a second Athlete of the Month honor in March.
 
Punching their ticket to nationals first in 2023 was Prince, doing so at the Soka Indoor Qualifier in February. Prince earned the right to run the 5,000m at the Indoor National Championship in South Dakota, but she was not done, as Prince later earned a spot at the Outdoor National Championship in April.
 
Jones would be next to secure a trip to nationals, coming at the Pat Ryan Invitational on March 24. Competing in the 400m hurdles, an event he qualified for nationals in the year prior, Jones hit the A-standard early to ensure his season would extend to the final days.
 
April continued to be a strong month for the Warriors, most notably when Jayden Jackson hit the qualifying standard in Turlock. This put Jackson in line to compete in the heptathlon in Indiana.
 
Jessup continued to battle throughout the season, leading to the GSAC Championship in Santa Barbara. In a week filled with numerous All-GSAC and conference championship honors, Pedretti walked away with Field Athlete of the Year honors to go with her phenomenal season. Freshman Erica Waseq, who improved week-by-week, was named Freshman of the Year.
 
After a dominating season, it came down to the West Coast Last Chance Meet in Hayward for Pedretti to earn a spot in Indiana. At the last possible moment, Pedretti answered the call. To add to the moment, senior Alexis Jones also hit the qualifying standard to extend her collegiate career one more meet.
 
For Jones, no stranger to nationals, it was the fifth time in her career that she hit the qualifying standard and was off to compete for a national championship.
 
Five Warriors would take on the challenges of a new site as the Warriors competed over three days on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan. The three-day meet saw action in the multi-events, track, and field competitions.
 
Each of the Warriors, with the exception of Jackson, was making a return trip to the National Championship. For the three-returning student-athletes from Indiana, they will again be looking to end their season in the Midwest. For those who did not punch their ticket, the goal in 2024 will be to join them.
 
The final destination remains the same for the 2024 Warriors, as student-athletes will battle their way toward a spot in Indiana. But with the 2024 season being Jessup's final one as a member of the NAIA, the goal will be at a new level as Jessup looks to end its tenure on top of the podium.
   
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).