Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports Information Director
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In addition to posting her second NCAA DII Indoor Championships automatic qualifying mark of the season on Saturday, senior Kaymarie Jones (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) also helped the ASC women’s distance medley relay squad to achieve fast provisional mark in an event in which the Grizzly men also put up a competitive qualifying mark.
Grizzly athletes combined to achieve nine NCAA Championship marks between the men and women on Friday and Saturday, on the track and in the throwing ring.
Jones, who punched her ticket to Mankato, Minn., for the DII Championships with an automatic qualifier in the 60 meter hurdles last weekend, did so on Saturday in the 400 meter dash. An outdoor all-American last spring at 400 meters, Jones posted a time of 54.43 seconds (54.73 adjusted) to place third in the event and come in nearly 7/10ths under the required automatic qualifying mark, and the third fastest time in Division II this season.
She was joined as a 400 meter qualifier by senior Lindsey Grasmick (Fowler, Colo.), who posted a provisional mark of 57.09 seconds (57.39 adjusted), which placed 15th in the event in Albuquerque.
But that was just the final act of the weekend for Jones and Grasmick, who on Friday ran as members of the Grizzly women’s DMR squad along with senior Cassie Mitchell (Tustin, Calif.) and sophomore Alicia Nelson (Craig, Colo.). The quartet placed second in the event with a provisional time of 11 minutes, 59.92 seconds (11:50.69 adjusted), which likely ranks among the top five in DII. Last season, the team of Mitchell, Jones, Grasmick and junior Kristen McGlynn (Bailey, Colo.) finished as runners-up at the DII Championships.
Sophomore spritner Zenobia Sims (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) also hit an individual qualifying mark at the UNM Classic, matching her season best with a time of 7.65 seconds (7.67 adjusted) in the 60 meter dash. It was the same time she avchieved at the Air Force Blue & Silver Open in December to start the season.
The Grizzly men, also all-Americans with a third place finish in the DMR at last year’s championship meet, also ran a provisional qualifier. Senior Drew Graham (Newcastle, England), freshman Boris Berian (Colorado Springs, Colo.), junior Martin Sanchez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and junior Keegan Calmes (Wind Lake, Wis.) teamed up to clock a time of 10:05.19 (9:58.39 adjusted). Adams State also saw men’s sprinters Malik McKinney (Denver, Colo.) and Rushane Scott (Allentown, Pa.) improve upon provisional qualifying times in the 60 meter dash. McKinney shaved 2/100ths on his time, running a time of 6.85 seconds (6.87 adjusted) Saturday, while Scott took off the same amount and now owns a season best of 6.87 seconds (6.89 adjusted).
Throwers Katie Kruger (Alamosa, Colo.) and Jamarius Mathis (Fountain, Colo.) each hit qualifying shot put distances for the third and second time this season, respectively. However, neither was an improvement over each of their marks from the Blue & Silver Open. Kruger placed fourth with a distance of 13.63 meters (44 feet, 8 ¾ inches), while Mathis threw for 16.04 meters (52’7 ½”).
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