CLAREMONT, Calif. – Azusa Pacific fashioned a fabulous day at the 23rd Annual Pomona Invitational in which 16 personal records were set and several Cougars confirmed their entries into the NAIA Outdoor Championships, and none were more outstanding then the women throwers and men distance runners.

Junior Erin Dwyer led a parade of surprising yet impressive performances by Cougar athletes with a near-11-foot PR in the hammer throw, finishing 11th in the 53-athlete competition with heave of 157’ 11”, the tenth best throw in Azusa Pacific history.

Dwyer, who a week ago threw 147’ 3” at Point Loma, came back this week with a significant improvement to surpass the NAIA qualifying mark by more than 3 feet and punch her first-ever ticket into the NAIA championship meet. With nearly 2 months and at least 5 meets remaining before the NAIA meet, Dwyer becomes a potential scoring factor in the Cougars’ quest for a fourth NAIA title in 7 years.

Fellow thrower Brittani Daniel was equally impressive with a PR throw of 165’ 4”, second overall in the meet but tops among all collegians. The junior PRd by more than 8 feet and vaulted to the top of the NAIA season-best lists, heading the pack by 11 feet over her nearest competitor.

The Cougar distance runners, both men and women, made their 2009 outdoor debut, and 5 Cougar men registered PRs in the 1500 meters, led by freshman Abedenego Magut, who clocked a 3:53.94 to finish third in his first-ever 1500-meter race. Senior John Pfeil ran a 3-second PR with a 3:55.60 to come in fifth, while Rocky Richardson was another 2 men behind in seventh at 3:57.08. Magut automatically qualified for the NAIAs while Pfiel reached the provisional standard.

Sophomores Spencer Winston (4:10.02) and J.J> Timphony (4:13.53) completed the list of Cougars with 1500-meter PRs.

Azusa Pacific won a pair of events at Pomona. The Cougar quartet of Cedrique Smith, Jordan Savidge, Staphon Arnold, Zach Keene clocked a 42.55 to win the 4x100-meter relay, their second straight victory after finishing first at Point Loma last week with a season-best 41.91.

Savidge came back to win the pole vault with a season-best leap of 16’ 2¾”, taking the competition by more than 5 inches.

Among other notable marks by Cougars at the Pomona Invitational include freshman Mercedes Arnold’s career-best jump of 17’ 2¾” to finish 13th in the long jump.

All-American Mandy Ross clocked an NAIA-leading 24.61 in the 200 meters and a season-best 57.93 in the 400.

On the men’s side, decathlete Devyn Mancuso-Will registered a pair of PRs, first in the 110 high hurdles (16.41) and then in the shot put (42’ 1¼”). Sophomore Jeff Altizer matched his career-best in the pole vault (14’ 9”), while the freshman Keene qualified for the NAIA 200 meters with a 21.69.

Azusa Pacific returns to the track this week when the majority of the Cougars compete in Friday’s version Johnson/Kersee Invitational at UCLA.