By Beth Renkoski

03/07/09

Vanguard Posts Pair of NAIA Indoor All-Americans

Johnson City, Tenn (Memorial Center "Mini Dome" at East Tennessee State University) – The 44th Annual Men’s and 29th Annual Women’s NAIA Indoor Track And Field Championships ended today at Memorial Center "Mini Dome" in Johnson City, Tennessee. Four Vanguard University track and field athletes participated in the final day of competition, with juniors Aze Perkins and Rebecca Sopp earning NAIA All-America honors.

Beginning the three-day event with nine participants, the Lions began day three with only four competitors. Junior Kelsie Davis made her NAIA Indoor Track and Field debut as the women’s high jump was scheduled for the afternoon of the final day, while Aze Perkins (60m Hurdles), Rebecca Sopp (5000m), and Megan Williams (mile) qualified for today’s finals in yesterday’s semifinal races.

Williams, the first female freshman in VU history to qualify for the NAIA Indoor Mile final, was the first VU Lion to compete today. With the tenth-fastest time in yesterday’s semifinal competition, Williams was the tenth-seed in the 10-woman final. Running just under two seconds slower than her semifinal time, Williams finished tenth with a time of 5:13.47. Although she missed NAIA All-American laurels, the national experience will be a tremendous help to the first-year collegiate athlete.

Less than 30 minutes later, Perkins continued his quest for his second NAIA Indoor All-America award in the men’s 60 meter hurdles. Advancing to the six-man final with a time of 8.20, Perkins matched his fifth place effort of 2008 by finishing fifth with a time of 8.34, once again becoming an NAIA All-American.

Davis began her first NAIA Indoor Track and Field competition in the women’s high jump in the middle of the afternoon. Qualifying for the event with her personal record jump of 5’3.75", Davis waited three days to take her first attempt at the opening height of 5’3". Unfortunately, Davis missed in her three attempts and did not place in the event.

VU’s most experienced women’s track and field athlete, team captain Rebecca Sopp was Vanguard’s final competitor of the day. Qualifying with the fifth fastest time among the semifinal racers, Sopp was the fifth-seed in the 12-person 5,000 meter final. Racing 13 seconds faster than her semifinal time of 18:03, Sopp clocked in with a time of 17:50 to take sixth place and earn her first NAIA Track and Field award.

Indoor All-Americans Perkins and Sopp will now focus on leading the Lions back to the NAIA Championships in Outdoor Track and Field in May, where they both competed last year in Illinois.

Complete Vanguard results for the 3-day event are listed below, but go the NAIA website for more details of the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships and complete event results.

Megan Williams 1st-Time NAIA competitor

Kelsie Davis 1st-Time NAIA Competitor

 

Thursday: March 5, 2009
6:45pm Women's DMR Semi (Megan Williams, Allie Armando, Ashley Rodriguez, Chelsea Van Cott)

Friday: March 6, 2009
1:20pm Men's 60m Hurdles Prelim (Aze Perkins)
2:05pm Women's Mile Semi (Megan Williams)
2:40pm Men's 60m Hurdles Semi (Aze Perkins)
3:25pm Women's 600m Semi (Ashley Rodriguez)
3:40pm Men's 600m Semi (Morgan Rose)
5:00pm Men's 1,000m Semi (Michael Hartanov)
6:40pm Women's 5,000m Semi (Rebecca Sopp)

Saturday: March 7, 2009
12:25pm Women's Mile Final (Megan Williams)
12:50pm Men's 60m Hurdles Final (Aze Perkins)
1:30pm Women’s High Jump (Kelsie Davis)
2:45pm Women's 5,000 Final (Rebecca Sopp)