Meet Notes: Mt. SAC is being held for the 50th consecutive year, with competition in high school, junior college, collegiate and elite/open divisions. …The Shasta Invitational will be held for the first time. Last year the Knights hosted the Golden Valley Conference Championships.
Lumberjack Notes: Competing at Mt. SAC this weekend will be runners Megan Rolland and Jesus Solis, and throwers Nick Bawden and Audrey Oswald. Rolland, in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, and Solis, in the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, will race Thursday, while Bawden, in the men’s javelin, and Oswald, in the women’s hammer, will both go on Friday. …While most of the Lumberjacks were either in San Francisco or Chico competing, three began their week earlier with a two-day multi-events effort. While not officially counting towards their season-bests because of the absence of a four-year college opponents, HSU’s Pat Fox and Brian Valle, in the decathlon, and Helena Silva, in the heptathlon, progressed through the 10- and 7-event schedule, respectively, with great results. Competing alongside athletes from Southwest Oregon Community College, Valle amassed 5,948 points and Fox had 4,771 in the decathlon, and Silva posted ,3672 in the heptathlon. …HSU now boasts five athletes among the ranks of national qualifiers, three on the women’s side and two from the men’s squad. With national rankings in each event due out Tuesday, Nick Bawden is still expected to list among the top three in the men’s javelin and Jesus Solis is on the list in the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. Following her record-setting weekend, Audrey Oswald should remain atop the women’s hammer national list, and Beth Kreiger solidified her position with an improvement in the same event. Finally, Brittany Peterson broke through to earn a provisional qualifier in the women’s pole vault. …Looking at the provisional marks, HSU head coach Sandy Moran is focusing on the improvements she believes will shore up the athletes’ chances for nationals. “Jesus (Solis) and Megan (Rolland) both need to lower their steeple times to get a shot at going to nationals,” Moran said. “Jesus could get in with a 3-4 second drop. Megan needs to drop at least 10 seconds. .…With the regular season winding down, the Shasta meet will be the last chance for most athletes who hope to earn a spot on the travel squad for the CCAA Championships. “This is essentially our last meet, so it is time for people to prove to the coaching staff that they deserve to compete at CCAA (Championships),” Moran said. “After the Shasta meet we will decide who gets a ticket.”