LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.’s men’s and women’s track and field teams will now be represented by 13 student-athletes at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships with the addition of
Ashley Fletcher to the women’s long jump field on Wednesday.
Fletcher, who had posted a provisional qualifying mark of 18-11.75 in the event, was an alternate to the championship field and she was added on Wednesday due to another competitor withdrawing from the competition.
She doesn’t have much time to prepare for the competition – the long jump will be held on Thursday at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. The championships will run from May 21-23.
The Golden Eagles will have 11 members of the women’s track and field team and two members of the men’s team representing Cal State L.A.
The top eight finishers in each event will earn All-America honors.
The 4x100 relay team of
Tuekeha Huntley, Smith,
Jennifer Shoate and Jubrey enters the championships with the fifth-fastest qualifying mark of 3:45.01.
Jubrey will be competing in two other events for the Golden Eagles. Jubrey, the CCAA champion in the 200 meters, has the sixth-fastest qualifying time in the nation with a mark of 23.85. She also has the eighth-fastest time in the 100 at 11.78.
Vivien Wadeck, the CCAA Newcomer of the Year who won conference titles in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, will concentrate on the 5,000 at the nationals. She has the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the nation with a mark of 16:39.75.
The Golden Eagles will have two competitors in the steeplechase –
Karla Alburez has the fourth-fastest qualifying time (10:44.50) and
Liliana Hernandez has the 14
th-fastest qualifying time (10:51.78).
Backus will also compete in the triple jump where she has the ninth-best qualifying mark in the nation at 39-1.75. She is seeking her fourth All-America award. She finished fifth in the nation in the triple jump in outdoor track in 2007 and she has finished fourth in the nation in the triple jump in 2008 and 2009.
Smith will represent the Golden Eagles in the heptathlon where she has the ninth-highest point total in the nation with 4,868 points.
Fletcher will compete in the long jump where she has the 18th-best mark in the nation.
For the men,
Josh Linker, the CCAA champion in the decathlon, has the sixth-highest point total for that event entering the national championships. He scored 6,782 points while winning the conference championship earlier this month at Chico State.
Christopher Hicks also qualified for the Golden Eagles in the high jump with a mark of 6-10.75. That mark is 11
th in the nation entering the championships.
Cal State L.A. also had other student-athletes who posted outstanding provisional qualifying marks who did not get into the championships.
Francis Nunez had a best mark of 23-8.25 in the long jump and Linker had a best mark of 15-10 in the pole vault.
Smith had provisional marks in the 100 (12.05), 200 (24.54) and long jump (18-7.75),
Maria Castaneda had a provisional mark of 36:20.81 in the 10,000, Speights (18-7.25) had a mark in the long jump and Huntley had a provisional mark in the heptathlon (4,651 points).
In addition, Wadeck had automatic qualifying marks in the 1,500 (4:30.33) and 10,000 (35:28.94) and a provisional mark in the 800 (2:14.19), but will concentrate on the 5,000. Jubrey had a high provisional mark in the 400 (55.51), but will concentrate on the 100 and 200. Alburez also had a provisional mark in the 1,500 (4:37.61).
NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships
Cal State L.A. Qualifiers
Men
Decathlon – Josh Linker 6,782 points (6th)
High Jump – Christopher Hicks 6-10.75 (11th)
Women
100 – Moriah Jubrey 11.78 (8th)
200 – Moriah Jubrey 23.85 (6th)
5000 – Vivien Wadeck 16:39.75 (4th)
Steeplechase – Karla Alburez 10:44.50 (4th), Liliana Hernandez 10:51.78 (14th)
Long Jump – Ashley Fletcher 18-11.75 (17th)
Triple Jump – Sierra Backus 39-1.75 (9th)
Heptathlon – Shianne Smith 4,868 points (9th)
4x100 Relay – Sierra Backus, Moriah Jubrey, Tanyshia Ridley, Shianne Smith 45.77 (2nd)
4x400 Relay – Tuekeha Huntley, Shianne Smith, Jennifer Shoate, Moriah Jubrey 3:45.01 (5th)
Schedule Of Events (Pacific Standard Times)
Cal State L.A. Qualifiers
Thursday, May 21
8:30 a.m. Decathlon begins (Josh Linker)
9:30 a.m. Heptathlon begins (Shianne Smith)
3:20 p.m. Women’s 4x100 prelims (Backus, Jubrey, Ridley, Smith)
4:40 p.m. Women’s 100 prelims (Moriah Jubrey)
5:00 p.m. Women’s Long Jump finals (Ashley Fletcher)
5:10 p.m. Women’s Steeplechase prelims (Karla Alburez, Liliana Hernandez)
Friday, May 22
8 a.m. Decathlon Day 2 begins (Josh Linker)
9 a.m. Heptathlon Day 2 begins (Shianne Smith)
3:10 p.m. Men’s High Jump finals (Christopher Hicks)
3:15 p.m. Women’s Triple Jump finals (Sierra Backus)
4 p.m. Women’s 200 prelims (Moriah Jubrey)
6:15 p.m. Women’s 5,000 prelims (Vivien Wadeck)
7:25 p.m. Women’s 4x400 prelims (Huntley, Smith, Shoate, Jubrey)
Saturday, May 23
3:10 p.m. Women’s Steeplechase finals (Karla Alburez, Liliana Hernandez)
3:40 p.m. Women’s 4x100 relay finals (Backus, Jubrey, Ridley, Smith)
5:08 p.m. Women’s 100 finals (Moriah Jubrey)
6:24 p.m. Women’s 200 finals (Moriah Jubrey)
6:43 p.m. Women’s 5,000 finals (Vivien Wadeck)
7:30 p.m. Women’s 4x400 Relay finals (Huntley, Smith, Shoate, Jubrey)