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.
