San Antonio, TEXAS – The Trinity track and field team will split this Saturday, Mar. 7, as much of the team turns their focus to the outdoor campaign, while a select few make a last effort at qualifying for the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships. The outdoor season will start at the CenTex Invite, hosted at the Southwestern University track that the Tigers have become all too familiar with over the past few years. Those still focusing on the indoor season will head to the Tufts Final Qualifier or the Wartburg Final Qualifier, looking to get in a nationals mark before the qualifying window closes after Mar. 7. The top 20 individuals and top 12 relay teams will qualify to indoor nationals on Mar. 15.
Preview - Tufts & Wartburg
The women's distance medley relay of Emerson Voldan, Isabella Gaylord, Halle Hamilton and Gianna Keena will compete at Tufts, looking to better the 12:08.50 time, set at the SAA Indoor Championships this past weekend, that has them 37th nationally. The qualifying time is currently 11:54.97, but will more than likely drop as last chance meets take place. In 2024, the last time nationals were held on a banked track, the final qualifying time was 11:43.08. This year's squad would be the first DMR in Trinity history to make nationals.
Sophia Ortiz will compete in the women's high jump at Wartburg. Her mark of 1.65m, set at the University of Houston on Feb. 7, currently has her tied for 26th nationally. The current qualifying mark is 1.66m, but it was 1.68m at the end of last year's season. Ortiz would be the first Trinity women's high jumper to make indoor nationals since Christyn Schumann won the national championship in 2005.
Notable absences from this weekend's travel trips are Bocar Diagana and Annabelle Lanik. Diagana is currently tied for 16th in the men's long jump at 14.69m. Last year, it took 14.38m to make nationals, but the current cut-off is 14.64m. He will hold his breath this weekend and hope the already uncharacteristically far mark doesn't get too much farther.
Lanik's mark of 5.91m in the women's long jump currently sits fifth nationally. The current qualifying mark is 5.67m, while it was 5.68m last year. Barring an onslaught of mutant long jumpers joining DIII this weekend, she should safely qualify for nationals.
Looking Ahead
NCAA Indoor Nationals will be held from Mar. 13-15 in Birmingham, AL. Outdoor season will continue after spring break with the TLU Invite at Texas Lutheran University on Mar. 21.
