ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In a scramble to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, McMurry University joined 31 other schools at Augustana College (IL) for the Augie Twilight Qualifier on Thursday.
Thursday's meet ends the regular season, as all times and marks will be finalized tonight nationwide. National qualifiers could be announced as early as tomorrow – May 21.
"We went up against some of the best in the nation and held our own," said McMurry head coach Cody Knight. "Half of the top relay teams were in this meet. Like any sport, we made a few mistakes, but I'm proud of how we performed. If we can put it all together next week at nationals, we have a chance to do something special."
Jockeying for a spot in multiple sprinting events, McMurry entered both of its relay teams (six sprinters total) into the meet.
The 4x400 relay ran its fastest time of the season at 3:14.88 – good enough for fourth place at the meet. Currently, this time ranks within the national top 10. The 4x400 lineup included senior Jacob Williams, freshman Dazhaun Walton, sophomore Jayden Sloan and senior Michael Limones.
The 4x100 was unable to top its fastest time of the season, finishing at 41.75 today. McMurry's team of Caleb Kwiatkowski, Jamari Williams, Jermond Lovely and Walton currently sit 14th in the nation with a time of 41.51. At today's meet, Sloan replaced Lovely as the third leg.
Individually, Walton entered the 200 meter dash and won with a time of 21.60. Though it was the fastest time at the meet, Walton's season-best remains 21.51 and currently ranks him 11th in the nation. Sloan also ran the 200 and had a time of 22.76.
In perhaps the final individual event of his illustrious career, Jacob Williams entered the 400 meter dash and placed fourth with a time of 49.36. His season high of 48.48 leaves him in 27th nationally.
Sloan, who did not run the 400 today, remains the nation's top athlete in the event with his ASC Championship record time of 47.20.
Jamari Williams placed 12th in the 100 meter dash, running a time of 11.05. He ends the regular season with his top time of 10.84.
The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships is scheduled for May 27-29 at the Irwin Belk Track Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Championship information can be found here.
