Seattle Pacific University's track teams have a lot to show for just a couple meets this season.
Everyone's striving to get qualified for post-season competition. Individual and team performers have to score high enough to earn a spot for the conference and national meets.
"Right now, all the kids are trying to post a mark on the national list," said head coach Karl Lerum. "We're just trying to set each kid up for an opportunity to get a mark that will allow them to continue to be competing."
But that doesn't seem like it will be too difficult for the men's and women's team this year.
The women's distance medley relay team of Lisa Anderberg, Jane Larson, Jessica Pixler and Crystal Sims earned a NCAA Division II automatic qualifying time at the UW Indoor Preview Jan. 16. The team finished the race in 11:32.23, well below the 11:47.90 automatic qualifying standard.
Freshman Amanda Alvarez earned a provisional qualifying status in the triple jump for a leap of 37 feet, 6 inches. On the men's side, senior Chad Meis earned a NCAA provisional qualifying time for the mile also.
This year's team is full of depth, Lerum said, and so far the men and women teams are proving their strengths in traditional areas-middle and long distance, multi-events and jumps.
"This year we have an exceptional middle-distance group," Lerum said. "Jessica Pixler is arguably the best runner in the division. She ran a 4:32 mile last weekend; that makes here competitive with anybody."
The women's team has 20 returnees, and a core senior group being led by Anderberg, and Pixler and Larson-the top two runners in Division II nationwide.
The men's team has 10 returnees, with seniors Justin Felt, Nathan Wagner, Micah Grounds and Meis leading the pack.
Lerum said the team's hoping to gain more depth in sprints still, but he has bigger plans than that.
"We always hope to win our conference. That's the initial goal," Lerum said. "With the team we have this year we have a very good chance of competing for being a top five national team."
SPU finished in 7th for indoors at last year's national meet and 9th for outdoors. The team will compete in the Husky Classic Saturday, Feb. 12 and at the UW Indoor Open Feb. 13. Start times have not been announced yet, but will be updated on spufalcons.com.
SPU will also host a last-chance national qualifying meet Feb. 27 at Dempsey (UW facility) before the NCAAs March 12-13.[[In-content Ad]]
