Mesa adds five qualifiers at Spring Invite
Phoenix, Ariz. - The T-Birds track and field team added five athletes to the national qualifying list on Friday at the Paradise Valley Spring Invite. Earlier this week, Glendale CC cancelled their Glendale Outdoor Invitational and Paradise Valley CC announced they would host a replacement meet.
On the track, sophomore Mary Siml qualified in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:57.21. This is Siml's first qualifying mark of the season and joins teammate Ellis Collins as qualifiers for the event. Sophomore Malik Chandler also qualified after running a time of 54.83 in the 400-meter hurdles.
On the field, freshman Kassidi Faraci hit a qualifying mark in the javelin throw with a distance of 37.88 meters (124-3). Pole vaulters Cayman Wilkes and Jolynn Fleming joined their teammates Lofton Thomas and Janie Tenney in qualifying for the event. Wilkes matched the qualifying mark of 4.45 meters (14-7.25) in the men's pole vault and Fleming vaulted a height of 3.20 meters (10-6) in the women's pole vault, also matching the qualifying mark.
This brings the season total to nine athletes who are now qualified for the outdoor national championships.
Next up for the T-Birds, they compete in the Puma Distance in the Dark Meet and the Cody McBride Invite hosted by Paradise Valley CC. The Distance in the Dark Meet will take place on Thursday, March 25th at MCC and the McBride Invite at PVCC on Saturday, March 27th.