IRVINE, Calif. – Junior Danny Reid ran like the meet’s namesake, clocking the second fastest 1500 in school history to highlight Azusa Pacific’s performance at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine.

Reid, who was coming off a sub-par performance in which he ran a 4:09.04 at the GSAC Championship Meet last week, was his former self this time, blazing a 3:47.98, the second fastest mile in the NAIA this year and just 2 seconds off the second oldest record in the Cougar books, Dennis Caldwell’s 3:45.72 registered in 1976.

Combined with 1:51.04 tallied in the 800 meters earlier this year that is the third best in the NAIA, Reid has proven himself to be one of the NAIA’s top mid-distance runners heading into NAIA Championship Meet in late May. Whether or not he’ll run both events or just one at the NAIAs won’t be determined until later. He still has the Claremont Classic on May 14 on which to improve his times in either or both events.

In other notable Cougar efforts, sophomore Matt Sparks finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best 52.41, the sixth best time in program history and the second fastest in the NAIA this season.

On the women’s side, freshman Kjersti Housman won her section of the 400 hurdles with a 1:04.61, to improve upon her provisional qualification for the NAIA meet. She is just .11 of a second off the automatic qualification standard.

Heptathlete Morgan Altizer cleared 11’ 5 ¾” in the pole vault for a personal and team season best leap. Junior Kristi Young cracked the program all-time top 10 in the discus with a lifetime best throw of 140’ 10” – a 2-foot PR.

In the hammer throw competition, junior Barbara Sugar improved her stance as the NAIA’s best this season with a heave of 175’ 7” to finish fifth in the invitational, while freshman Ruth Wilhelm launched a 5-foot PR for a mark 158’ even, the best throw ever by a Cougar freshman.

Azusa Pacific takes this week off for finals and returns to the track Saturday, May 14, at the Claremont Invitational.