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Point Park's T&F team sending 10 members to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Posted: May 17, 2024

Point Park's T&F team sending 10 members to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

 

PITTSBURGH, Pa.—The Point Park Track & Field team will be sending 10 members of the team to the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships which are being hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University at the Wildcat Track & Field Complex in Marion, Indiana. The championship meet will begin on Wednesday May 22nd and conclude on Friday May 24th.

 

MEN'S QUALIFIERS

For the men's team, five Pioneers qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships which included two freshman and three juniors.

Jakob Blatnik (Jr./ Lijubjana, Slovenia) qualified for the Javelin and is currently ranked third in the country going into the Outdoor Track & Field Championships. One of the standout field athletes for the Pioneers, Blatnik's best mark of the year came in the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on April 25th, as Blatnik's massive throw went for 67.34 meters which was well over the NAIA "A" standard of 57.00 meters.

Freshman Kanye Mills (Fr./ Blackwood, N.J.) qualified for the Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 110 Meter Hurdles by running a 14.40 which was enough to hit the NAIA "A" standard. Mills 14.40 time came at the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on April 25, 2024, where Mills took home first place in the event.

Jannik Windelband (Jr./ Rechbeghausen, Germany) will compete in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase for Point Park at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Just as Blatnik and Mills both did Windelband's best qualifying mark came at the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships where Windelband hit the NAIA "B" standard running a 9:23.24.

The fourth member of the Pioneers traveling to Indiana is Ramiro Ulunque (Jr./ Cochabamba, Bolivia). At the Outdoor Track & Field Championships Ulunque will compete in the 800 Meter for Point Park. His qualifying mark came at the Bison Outdoor Classic where Ulunque ran a 1:52.11 at the Bison Outdoor Classic in Lewisburg, Pa. on April 12th, 2024. 1:52.11 was enough to hit the NAIA "B" standard.

The final male athlete to join the Outdoor Championships for Point Park is Akeem Mustapha (Fr./ Harrisburg, Pa.). Only a freshman, Mustapha made some waves in the River States as he took first in the Long Jump at the River States Championships as we well as second in the Triple Jump. At the Outdoor Nationals Mustapaha will compete in the Long Jump as his 7.18 meter mark at the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships was enough for the NAIA "B" standard.

WOMEN'S QUALIFIERS

On the women's side, five Pioneers qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships which included one sophomore, three juniors, and one senior.

Natalea Hillen (Sr./ McMurray, Pa.) is returning to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the senior will compete in the 100 Meter Hurdles as well as the 400 Meter Hurdles. In the 100 Meter Hurdles, Hillen hit the NAIA "B" standard with a time of 14:59 at the Harrison Dillard Twilight on May 9th. In the 400 Meter Hurdles she hit the NAIA "A" standard with a time of 1:03.84 also at the Harrison Dillard Twilight.

Sophie Lee-Hauser (Jr./ Elizabeth Forward, Pa.)  is the second Pioneer from the women's team to be competing for a National Championship. Lee-Hauser will be competing in the 5000 Meter Racewalk. At the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships Lee-Hauser had a time of 28:41.94 to hit the NAIA "A' standard while placing second in the conference.

One of the new members to the Point Park Track & Field team, Diamond Rush (Jr./ Detroit, Mich.), qualified for the 200 Meters at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Rush's qualifying time came at the Harrison Dillard Twilight on May 9th where she ran a 24.75 to meet the NAIA "B" standard. At the RSC Outdoor Championships Rush took home first place in the 200 Meters.

Another new member for the Pioneers who qualified for Nationals is Mya Greschner (So./ Pittsburgh, Pa.). Greschner will be competing in the Long Jump as her 5.80 mark at the RSC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on April 25th was enough to hit the NAIA "A" standard. At the RSC Outdoor Championships, Greschner took first place.

The final Pioneer to travel to Marion, Indiana for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is former NAIA All-American Emma Pavelek (Jr. / Beaver, Pa.). Pavelek will compete in the High Jump as she hit the NAIA "B" mark with a mark of 1.66 meters at the Harrison Dillard Twilight on May 9th.