CLAREMONT, Calif. –- Here they come.

Azusa Pacific stellar women’s distance program has a kick to it, and it’s on showcase with the NAIAs looming.

All-Americans Whitney Jacobsmeyer and Jaime Canterbury and junior Olivia Richert all posted career bests efforts and each qualified for the upcoming NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships during the Claremont Classic Saturday at Claremont-Mudd Colleges.

Jacobsmeyer, a 4-time NAIA All-American including twice in cross country, led the Cougar women in a rather significant showcase for the squad. Jacobsmeyer won the women’s 1500 meters, using a 6-second personal record to clock a 4:39.56 and come from behind down the stretch to narrowly edge UC Riverside’s Cristina Olivas. Jacobsmeyer’s performance is the fifth-fastest time in program history.

Meanwhile, Canterbury finished second in the 800 meters, running a 4-second PR of 2:14.17, the 11th fastest time in program history.

“There is a lot more in that tank,” said Cougar distance coach Preston Grey. “Jaime is still learning to run at this level. KJ (Kjersti Housman) ran a perfect rabbit and put Jaime in perfect position to get a good time.”

Richert was just off Canterbury’s heels, finishing fourth in the 800 with a 2:16.00, more than 5 seconds faster than her previous half-mile best, and in the process she hit the “A” standard for the NAIA championships squarely on the button.

Collectively, the distance trio has qualified 7 times for the NAIA championships. All 3 have reached the “A” standard for the 1500, which includes Canterbury’s school-record time of 4:27.96. Along with the aforementioned times in the 800, Canterbury is also qualified for the 5000 (17:22.15), and Jacobsmeyer has punched her ticket for the grueling steeplechase (11:14.81).

“Obviously, we wont’ run them in all those events at NAIAs,” said Grey, “but it does give us some flexibility. And if they had a 4xmile relay, we might be pretty good in that too.”

Also at Claremont, All-American senior Sarah Jackson made sure she would be at the NAIA championships later this month by recording a championship-meet qualifying time of 1:03.86 in the 400 hurdles, finishing second to San Diego State’s Nicole Stone (64.46).

In the men’s competition, little-known freshman Forrest Lewton made the biggest news of the meet by qualifying for the NAIA championships in the steeplechase. Lewton registered a huge PR with a 9:32.1 to easily reach the “B” standard for the championship meet. Cougar men’s head coach Kevin Reid has indicated that he likely to use 1 of the 3 allotted “B” standard qualifiers for Lewton in the steeplechase.

Junior Nate Nasca clocked a personal-best but windy 14.75 to finish second in the 110-meter high hurdles. With the performance, he automatically qualified for the NAIAs.

Azusa Pacific closes out its regular-season of competition this Saturday (May 12) when the Cougars compete in the Oxy Invitational in Eagle Rock Calif. The first field event starts at 10 a.m. with the running events slated for 3 p.m.