JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. –- Azusa Pacific has assumed the lead after the second day of the NAIA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship Meet, but the finish line is far off and the race is on.

The Cougars scored in 4 different events during Friday’s competition in the Minidome on the campus of East Tennessee State, tallying 21 points in the process. Three-time reigning outdoor champ Dickinson State (N.D.), Black Hills State (S.D.) and Doane (Neb.) are all tied for second with 18 points. And looming just off the horizon are Oklahoma Baptist and Virginia Intermont, both of which are expected to make strong runs for the national crown during Saturday’s championship events.

Azusa Pacific’s Friday effort was highlighted by a unique and strong showing in the high jump where senior Lance Soderberg and freshman Stephon Arnold each cleared 6’ 8 ¾”, finishing third and eighth, respectively, based on misses. The 2 Cougars garner All-American honors, the first by a Cougar in the high jump since 1994, and the first Cougar pair since Jack Nance and Tommy Taylor did it in the high jump in 1989. For the 6-foot-9 Soderberg, it is his first All-America recognition in track & field after collecting 2 in basketball the past 2 seasons. Arnold follows in his father’s footsteps, an NAIA All-American hurdler for Azusa Pacific in the mid-1980s.

As expected, junior David Pichler found himself in intense competition during the second day of the heptathlon, and came in third with 4,833 points, good enough for Azusa Pacific’s first 6 points of the meet. Pichler led the 15-man field after 5 events and was still in the hunt going into the final event, the 1000 meters. However, Doane’s Forrest Gregory blazed a 2:47.13, beating Pichler by 11 seconds to rally for the heptathlon title with 4,921 points.

Senior James Ferguson earned his first-ever indoor All-America certificate with a fifth-place showing in the 30-pound weight throw. Ferguson heaved the metal ball a personal-record 55’ 9” to become the 13th Cougar in 26 years to capture All-America recognition in the weight throw and the first in 5 years.

The Cougar men closed Friday’s competition with a sign of what is to come during Saturday’s events. Azusa Pacific, Virginia Intermont and Oklahoma Baptist went head-to-head in the 4x800-meter relay, and while the 3 teams pulled away from the rest of the field, it was OBU that edged Intermont for the victory. Azusa Pacific clocked an outstanding 7:39.98, but was still 4 seconds behind the leaders. Nonetheless, Azusa Pacific collected 6 additional points for the effort to take over the team lead and heads into Saturday’s final day of competition with eyes on a fifth NAIA indoor championship in program history

On the other side of the track, the Cougar women find themselves in second place after the second day, registering 18 points to trail frontrunner Doane by just 4 points.

Like their male colleagues, the Cougar women closed the day in fine fashion, clocking a 10-second season-best in the 4x800-meter relay, a 9:13.02 that gave them a fifth-place finish and an additional 2 points.

Junior Ruth Wilhelm highlighted the individual efforts of the day with her first-ever All-American honor in the 20-pound weight throw. The Washington native posted a 2-foot PR with a throw of 53’ 10½”, the fifth-best throw in school history.

Numerous prelim races dominated Friday’s schedule, and the Cougar men accomplished their chief goal of advancing into the finals of several events.

Matt Sparks and Nate Nasca have punched their tickets for Saturday’s finals in the 60-meter hurdles. Aron Rono cruised into the finals of the 5000 with the second best prelim time of 14:59.32 and is the favorite to win the mile after clocking a rather easy 4:08.95. Senior Tal Mor is in the finals of the 200, while All-American Caleb Lynch will represent the Cougars in the men’s 800. NAIA champion Tony Ramirez, who anchored the Cougars’ 4x800 relay tonight, will join teammate Jason Zichterman in Saturday’s finals of the 600.

For the Cougar women, Zora Golcevska, the NAIA runner-up in the pentathlon Thursday, moved on to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, while Lorraine Swaby earned a berth in the finals of the 400 meter.

Saturday’s race for the national championships officially begins at 10 a.m. (EST). Click here to view live results as the meet unfolds.