Strong showing for Mesa Track at Puma Invitational

PARADISE VALLEY, AZ – In its season-opening event, the Mesa track and field teams produced six NJCAA national championship qualifying marks, plus two other unofficial standards, at the Puma Indoor Invitational at Paradise Valley C.C. Friday and Saturday.  

The MCC men had four of the qualifiers, including two who won their events outright. Adrian King took the long jump with a leap of 23-4, while Jacob McBride captured the weight throw with a toss of 55- ½.  

In addition, the T-Birds had two pole vaulters qualify. Defending national champion Leonard Bellgardt, IV, cleared 15-3 and Trenton Slater reached 14.9.    

For the women, Phoebe Larson won the triple jump while producing a qualifying distance of 36-5.  

Calla Reed cleared 11-5 ¾ in the pole vault to earn qualifying marks.

The two unofficial qualifying marks came in multi-events, where no qualifying standards are posted, but MCC athletes put up numbers that would have scored in last year's championship.

D'Angelo Foster, who placed fourth a year ago in the heptathlon, compiled 4911 points, which would have won last year's championship. Sidra Peerson scored 3274 in the pentathlon, which would have been good for sixth place a year ago.

The Indoor nationals will be held March 4-5 at Wake Forest, N.C.  

The T-Birds will return to Paradise Valley this Saturday for the PVCC Indoor.