Tracksters have one last chance for nationals

Fourteen USU indoor track athletes will compete in the Last Chance Meet tonight and Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho, for a final chance to qualify for the national tournament.

Although any athlete can compete in the meet, head coach Gregg Gensel said he is only taking those who can benefit from the experience and those who are close to qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships which will be held March 9-10 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Of 14 athletes who will compete in the Last Chance Meet, Gensel said four have a good chance of qualifying for nationals. Those he named are Maurice Jenkins in the pole vault, Brick Bergeson in the 800-meter run, Rebecca Thornley in the mile and Dave Hoffman in the high jump.

James Parker is the only Aggie who has qualified for nationals so far this season; he hit the standard for the weight throw in the Aggies’ only home meet, which was his first competition this year.

Gensel said he doesn’t know how many schools or athletes will be at this weekend’s meet. He said there could be 20 schools represented or there could be five. The meet is open, which means scores will be kept individually, not as a team. The Last Chance Meet’s only purpose is to give athletes who are close to hitting the national qualifying standard one more chance.

The track athletes who aren’t competing this weekend won’t have another meet until the end of March, when outdoor track season begins.