AZUSA, Calif.. –- It may have been “Easter Break” time for the students of Azusa Pacific, but for the Cougars it was wall-to-wall track & field for 4 consecutive days.

Beginning early Wednesday morning and concluding well into the night of Saturday evening, Azusa Pacific athletes competed at different sites, from Azusa Pacific’s California Invitational Decathlon to the Pomona Invitational to the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays.

NAIA champions Tim Ramirez and Brian Bernard rose above the crowd to notch impressive performances in their respective events. In fact, the 2 seniors were so good that their efforts moved them to even more distinguished company in Azusa Pacific’s illustrious track & field history.

Early Thursday afternoon Ramirez won the Mt. SAC Relays open divison 1500 meters, registering a blistering 3:47.39, the second fastest time in Azusa Pacific history. Additionally, Ramirez’ effort, which tops all NAIA runners this season, was best of all milers at Mt. SAC on Thursday, including the collection of elite Olympic Development runners who ran later in the day.

Twenty-four hours later Ramirez moved over to the Pomona Invitational and proved once again that he is at the peak of the college career, recording a personal-best 1:48.38 in the 800, which is also the second the fastest time in Azusa Pacific history.

With 5 weeks left in his college career, Ramirez can take dead aim at the school records in both the 800 and the 1500. He is just fractions of second shy of Brandon Shaw’s school standard in the 800 at 1:48.07. Ramirez’s pursuit of the 1500 record may require more patience since no one has touched Dennis Caldwell’s 3:45.72 in 20 years, making it the second oldest record on the Cougar books.

Bernard literally vaulted into the NAIA lead of all decathletes, tallying 6,730 points to finish sixth in the California Invitational Decathlon staged Wednesday and Thursday. The feat was just 62 points shy of his personal best. Bernard scored 962 points in the pole vault alone, clearing a personal-best 16’ 6 ¾” the best mark in the NAIA this year and the fifth best vault in Azusa Pacific history. Earlier in the meet, Bernard also PR’d in the high jump, elevating 6’ 8.”

Bernard’s fellow decathlon-mates, sophomore David Picher (6,413) and Akoni Clubb (6,319) also recorded season-best decathlon scores which should also be high enough to qualify them for next month’s NAIA Outdoor Champioships.

Ramirez and Bernard were not alone in their exemplary marks. Junior Matt Parish won the Mt. SAC Relays open 400 meters with a personal best 46.50, nearly a second faster than any other NAIA athlete this season, and the third fastest in Azusa Pacific history. It was best quarter-mile by a Cougar in 18 years, since Felix Sandy’s 46.04 in 1988.

On the women's side, All-American Kristy Young PR'd in the hammer throw with a heave of 167' 3". Azusa Pacific now owns 3 of the top 5 hammer throws in the NAIA this year with Vivian Chukwuemeka and Barbara Sugar being the other 2.

Azusa Pacific closed out the long weekend of competition with a sterling performance in the men’s 4x400-meter relay at the Mt. SAC Relays where Parish, Caleb Lynch, Tony Ramirez and Tim Ramirez blazed a season-best 3:09.12 to win the open division event.

Click on the "Box Scores" button at the top to view results from the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.