AZUSA—Conor Wells will be representing the Chico State track and field team at the NCAA Division II Championships. He made sure of that Friday night with the fastest 800-meter run ever. His was the first of many audacious efforts for the Wildcats on the opening day of the Azusa Pacific Last Chance Meet. Some of those efforts paid off and others led to some late-race bonks. The meet is deemed a last chance because it's the final opportunity for student-athletes to run times worthy of an NCAA Championship selection. So the Wildcats were laying it all on the line.
Wells' time of 1:49.06 is the third fastest in school history behind only Peter Paplanus (1:48.89) and Derek Morton (1:48.90). More importantly, only 11 student-athletes in Division II had run a faster time entering Friday's action. He went to the meet hoping to improve on his NCAA provisional qualifying time and forced the issue with 400-meter splits of 54.51 and 54.55.
Freshman Walker Doucette ran in an earlier heat and had similar success, slicing more than two seconds out of his personal-record time by finishing in 1:51.88. Brian Hastings also had a big PR, finishing in 1:53.03, good for 19
th overall out of 59 who started the event.
In the women's 800, Katie Hawley raced to a personal-record finish of 2:15.96, but fell short of the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Marissa D'Atri had a similar fate in the 5,000 meters, logging her personal-best time of 17:08.76, but falling less than a second shy of an NCAA provisional mark.
In the men's 5,000 meters, Chico State sent five Wildcats across the line in the upper half of the 89-man field, led by Jack Emanuel, who finished sixth with a time of 14:16.28. Daniel Ramirez was 25
th and Joshua O'Neill 27
th. Dylan White was second in his heat in 14:55.73, a PR, which was a half second behind Loyola Marymount's Hunter Krasa. Michael Ramirez was close behind in 15:09.42.
On Saturday, 19 Wildcats will compete in Azusa. The Championship field will be announced at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. The NCAA Division II Championships will take place May 26–28 at the Grand Valley State University Track and Field Stadium in Allendale, Michigan.
Chico State Athletes Competing in the Azusa Pacific Last Chance Meet
Friday, May 13
Men's 800 meters
3. Conor Wells, 1:49.06 (PR, PQM, 3
rd in school history)
14. Walker Doucette, 1:51.88 (PR)
19. Brian Hastings, 1:53.03 (PR)
Women's 800 meters
24. Katie Hawley, 2:15.96 (PR)
Women's 5,000 meters
6. Marissa D'Atri, 17:08.76 (PR)
Gracie Dupuis, DNF
Women's 5,000 meters
Hannah Ryan, DNF
Men's 5,000 meters
6. Jack Emanuel, 14:16.28 (of 89)
25. Daniel Hernandez, 14:44.11
27. Joshua O'Neill, 14:45.17
35. Dylan White, 14:55.73 (PR)
41. Michael Ramirez, 15:09.42
10,000 meters
Brayden McLaughlin, 30:47.26
Saturday, May 14
Noon: Men's Pole Vault
Cristian Brady
1 p.m.: Men's Long Jump
Adam Kasten
2 p.m.: Women' High Jump
Nadia Torkman
2 p.m.: Women's Pole Vault
Amy Bell
2:45 p.m.: Men's 110-Meter Hurdles
Parker Williams
2:55 p.m.: Women's 400 Meters
Savannah Bailey
4:00 p.m.: Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
Chloe Taylor
4:10 p.m.: Men's 400-Meter Hurdles
Parker Williams
8 p.m.: Women's 1,500 Meters
Marissa D'Atri and Gracie Dupuis
8:30 p.m.: Men's 1,500 Meters
Conor Wells and Rory Abberton—Heat 1
Brian Hastings—Heat 2
Daniel Hernandez—Heat 3
Bennett Woodward, Joshua O'Neill, Dylan White—Heat 4
Michael Ramirez—Heat 5
9:40 p.m.: Men's 3.000-Meter Steeplechase
Peter Normann III
