Mustangs qualify program record number for outdoor nationals in a single meet

TMU Track & Field followed up its best season opener in program history with perhaps its best performance in any meet ever at the Oxy Distance Carnival on Saturday.
 
Master's qualified the most Mustangs it ever has for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in any single meet, with six hitting automatic qualifying standards and another three achieving provisional qualifying marks.
 
Four new program records were also set.
 
"We're thankful for the opportunity the Lord gave us to worship Him and for all the national qualifiers, school records and personal bests," Master's Head Coach Zach Schroeder said. "But above all, the team came out intent on competing fully dependent on the Lord, and to the degree we did that we were successful."
 
Ellen Palmgren ran a program record and NAIA 'A' standard time of 2:13.48 in the women's 800 meters, placing second in the event.
 
In the men's 5,000 meters, three Mustangs ran automatic qualifying times – Wesley Methum (14:16.57), Davis Boggess (14:20.88) and Daniel Rush (14:28.59). Those three times now rank third, fourth and fifth in program history.
 
Sophie Southerden, fresh off a 10th place finish in the women's 3,000 meters at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, ran a personal-best 'A' standard time of 37:06.64 in the 10,000 meters.
 
Autumn Nootbaar ran a provisional qualifying time of 37:52.48 in the same event, while Mariah Hildebrandt set a new personal best of 38:28.82. The times run by Southerden, Nootbaar and Hildebrandt now rank third, fourth and seventh in program history.
 
Hannah Fredericks (4:35.97) automatically qualified for nationals in the women's 1500 meters, winning the race, while Arianna Ghiorso (4:43.18) provisionally qualified in the same event.
 
Caleb Pouliot set three individual TMU records – men's pole vault (4.75 meters), discus (39.12 meters) and 110-meter hurdles (16.79 s). His mark in the pole vault is a provisional qualifying mark for nationals.
 

— Master's Athletics (@TMUAthletics) March 13, 2022

Pouliot was also on the program record-setting 4x100 meter relay team (43.82 s), that also featured Blake Spomer, Jayk Kelton and Eli Szumera.
 
Micaiah Scott, who already qualified for nationals in the women's javelin, placed third at the meet with a mark of 33.71 meters. Szumera (45.19 meters) finished third in the men's javelin.
 
Dominic Ghiorso ran a personal-best time of 1:58.24 in the men's 800 meters.
 
Master's is scheduled to compete next on Saturday at the PLNU Ross and Sharon Invite in San Diego, hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University.