Central's Hollis and Western's Ledesma advance to Saturday finals at NCAA D2 champs...
PITTSBURG, Kansas--Central Washington standout E'lexis Hollis (file photo courtesy CWU Athletics) and Marian Ledesma of Western Washington were among the highlights of a busy day 1 at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Robert W. Plaster Center on the campus of Pittsburg State University.
In a rematch of the GNAC championship meet in Spokane, Hollis won her heat of the 60 in 7.33, with Simon Fraser's Marie-Eloise Leclair trailing in 7.35. Leclair advanced to the finals as a time qualifier.
Ledesma broke her own Western Washington school record in the prelims of the 800m with a time of 2:08.57. Ledesma automatically qualified for Saturday's finals by winning the opening heat, breaking her personal best of 2:10.13 set at the Husky Classic earlier this season. Her time Friday was the No. 2 mark entering the finals trailing only 2:05.66 by Alaysia Brooks of Ursuline.
The finals for the women's 800m is scheduled for 4:35 pm PT/6:35 pm CT, with Ledesma going for another All-America award in her sixth career trip to nationals in cross country and track & field.
In the 60 hurdles, Central Washington's Lauryn Chandler was fifth in her heat, running 8.58, and did not advance to the finals.
The Western Washington women's distance medley relay team of Sophie Wright, Caitlyn Cheney, Emmy Kroontje, and Ila Davis finished ninth in 11:30.70, one spot off the podium. Adams State won the race in 11:17.98.
Seattle Pacific's Annika Esvelt set a personal best in the women's 5000 final, running 16:29.98, despite getting knocked down with about 400 meters to go. She finished tenth.
In the finals of the women's high jump, Cenetral Washington's Emy Ntekpere finished in a tie for eleventh, clearing 5-5.75 (1.67m). Erica Schamel of host Pittsburg State won with a leap of 5-10 (1.78m).
Western Washington's Kevin McDermott finished twelfth in the men's 5000m finals, running 14:16.91, as Hamza Chahid of Wingate won in 13:51.02.
Central's Drew Klein stands 14th after the break in the heptathlon, with a four event score of 2568 points, 780 points behind leader Hunter Jones of host Pittsburg State.
Besides Hollis, Ledesma, and Klein, McDermott returns to run in the men's 3000.
NOTE: The NCAA and the media relations office of Western Washington, Central Washington, and Seattle Pacific contributed to this report.
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