First two outdoor meets yield 17 national qualifiers for track and field

  MESA, AZ - Through the first two meets of the outdoor track and field season the Mesa teams have already piled up 17 national qualifying performances.

  The T-Birds competed at the Arizona State Baldy Castillo Invitational and the Paradise Valley Invitational.

  The MCC men had nine of the qualifiers with three coming in the pole vault. 

  Indoor national champion Leonard Belgardt IV (Fr., Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite H.S.) and Austin McCrum (So., Carson, Wash/Stevenson H.S.) each cleared 16- 3/4 and Michael Costello (So., Mesa, AZ/Mountain View H.S.) jumped 15-7.

  David Figueroa (So., Mesa, AZ/Nogales H.S.) posted a 1:52.62 800 meters, while Jose Retana (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Skyline H.S.) ran a 15:28.25 5000 meters and Blake Fischer (Fr., Chandler, AZ/Corona del Sol H.S.) was clocked in 32:53.76 in the 10,000.

  Mesa also had two qualifiers in the hammer throw. Matt Garcia (So., Phoenix, AZ/Sunnyslope H.S.) went 180-6 and Austin Atkins threw 166-11.

  In addition, D'Angelo Foster (Fr., Gilbert, AZ/Higley H.S.) piled up 6018 in the decathlon.

  Among the women, Beatriz Martinez (So., Chandler, AZ/Chandler H.S.) met the standard in two events. She ran a 2:16.90 800 meters and a 4:55.97 1,500.

  Karlie Kjerstad (So., Chandler, AZ/Chandler H.S.) also qualified in the 1,500 at 4:59.89.

  Dana Brady (So., Bradenton, Fla/Saguaro (AZ) H.S.) cleared 11-5 3/4 in the pole vault and Meghan Blankenship (So., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) tossed a 150-8 in the hammer.

  MCC had two qualifiers in the heptathlon, Breanna Royer (So., Wray, Colo/Wray H.S.) totaled 3914 points and Jayme Giles (So., Portland, Ore/Reynolds H.S.) rolled up 3646.

  The 4x400 relay team met the mark with a 4:04.47.

  The T-Birds will participate in the ACCAC championships Saturday in Tucson, AZ.