The NCAA will officially announce Tuesday which athletes will compete at the May 25–27 Division II Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado. Several Chico State athletes are among those in consideration thanks to posting NCAA Provisional marks earlier in the season, but this weekend will serve as the final opportunity for a select group of Wildcats to score a Provisional mark or strengthen an existing one. Twelve 'Cats will be in Southern California Friday and Saturday to compete in the appropriately-named APU Franson Last Chance meet at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Athletic Stadium.
Fans can keep up with the results online by accessing the Live Stats link at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, or on the Chico State women's track & field schedule page.
The Wildcats will take part in eight events at the APU Franson Last Chance meet. Ashley Brown and Josey Peterson will be the first Chico State competitors, as they participate Friday afternoon in the javelin throw. Peterson and Brown each own NCAA Provisional marks in the event (Brown posting her Provisional at last week's CCAA Track & Field Championships), but both will be looking to beef up their previous best effort to increase their chances of being chosen to compete in the NCAA Championships.
Also on Friday, Natalie Dinin will attempt to grab a Provisional mark in the 800-meter run, while later in the day Marissa D'Atri and Hannah Tiffany are both entered to compete in the 5,000-meter run. D'Atri will be trying to improve her existing Provisional mark of 16:30.25 (which stands as the fourth-fastest 5k time in program history), while Tiffany hopes to shave several seconds off her current Provisional time of 16:56.42.
Saturday's action at the APU Franson Last Chance meet includes Danielle Bacon, Savannah Bailey, and Taylor Lee competing in the 400-meter dash. Bailey is the only one of the three Wildcats with a Provisional mark in the event, but is also looking to better her time in Azusa.
Chloe Taylor will toe the starting line Saturday afternoon in the 400-meter hurdles. Taylor already owns the 10th-fastest time in the event (a school record 59.76 seconds) among Division II runners and should be a lock to compete at the upcoming NCAA Championships.
Bacon, Bailey, Lee, and Taylor will team up Saturday afternoon for the 4x400-meter relay. The 'Cat quartet came within .09 seconds of setting a new program record in the event, but will need a strong performance at the APU Franson Last Chance to earn NCAA Championships consideration.
Saturday evening sees the Wildcats competing in two distance races, the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 1,500-meter run. D'Atri is entered in both events, but because she already possesses a strong Provisional time in the steeple (10:16.88, fifth-best in all of Division II this season), may opt to just run the 1,500 and attempt to strengthen her existing Provisional mark of 4:29.29.
Hannah Wirth will also be competing in the steeplechase, aiming to post a Provisional mark in the event. Wirth's top time in the event this season was a 11:05.96 effort at last week's CCAA Track & Field Championships.
Whether or not D'Atri participates in the 1,500-meter run, the Wildcats will be well represented in the event, which takes place Saturday night. Entered to compete are Dinin, Tiffany, Katie Hawley, and Alexi Steinmaus—all in need of big Provisional 1,500 marks to be considered for nationals.
In other Chico State women's track & field news, the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Ratings Index has the Wildcats ranked No. 4 in the NCAA West Region and No. 36 among all Division II programs nationwide.
The following is a complete listing of Wildcat women's track & field athletes scheduled to compete at the APU Franson Last Chance, with day and event times:
APU FRANSON LAST CHANCE
Friday, May 12–Saturday, May 13
Cougar Athletic Stadium, Azusa
Hosted by Azusa Pacific University
FRIDAY, MAY 12
12:00 p.m. Javelin — Ashley Brown and Josey Peterson
4:00 p.m. 800-meter run — Natalie Dinin
5:20 p.m. 5,000-meter run — Marissa D'Atri and Hannah Tiffany
SATURDAY, MAY 13
1:55 p.m. 400-meter dash — Danielle Bacon, Savannah Bailey, and Taylor Lee
2:40 p.m. 400-meter hurdles — Chloe Taylor
4:00 p.m. 4x400-meter relay — Danielle Bacon, Savannah Bailey, Taylor Lee and Chloe Taylor
6:30 p.m. 3,000-meter steeplechase — Marissa D'Atri and Hannah Wirth
8:00 p.m. 1,500-meter run — Marissa D'Atri, Natalie Dinin, Katie Hawley, Alexi Steinmaus, and Hannah Tiffany
