The track and field teams are sending two athletes back to the national championships this season after a strong showing at the first meet of the season.

Jryi Davis and Anna Shields will represent Point Park in Pittsburgh, Kan. in March after qualifying for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championships in Point Park’s first indoor track and field meet of the season last weekend at Youngstown State University.

Davis set a school record in the triple jump, winning the event with his leap of 14.51 meters. The junior bested the NAIA ‘A’ qualifying standard of 14.20 meters. His jump last year of 14.44 meters at nationals earned him NAIA All-American honors.

His appearance at the NAIA National Championships in March will be his third time at the indoor championships and his fourth time at the national championships overall.

Shields continued her dominating 2017 year with two facility records en route to qualifying for the national championships again, less than two weeks after earning NAIA Cross Country All-American honors. 

She earned national qualifying times in the 1,000 meters and the mile. Shields took second place at last year’s national championships in both events.

Her time of 4 minutes, 45.04 seconds in the mile won the race by 35 seconds and beat the record at the facility that stood since 2012. Another 2012 record went down courtesy of Shields in the 1,000 meters when she won the race with a 2 minute, 28 second finish. Her times in both events were also good for new school records previously held by Shields.

Sophomore Xavier Stephens narrowly missed qualifying for nationals in the team’s first meet, finishing the 800 meters in 1 minutes, 56.74 seconds and breaking his own school record. Stephens helped Point Park to a program-best start to its season with a second-place finish in the race.

A number of freshmen shined in their college debuts last weekend. Jaz Wicks led the women throwers with a shot put toss of 11.4 meters, a new school record. The women also featured freshman Reba Bartram leading the pack in the 400 meters with a 12th-place finish of 1 minute, 0.91 seconds, less than one second away from breaking the school record.

Alyssa Boyd, also fresh off a nationals appearance in cross country, trailed only Shields and two others in the 1,000 meters for a fourth-place finish.

The men were also highlighted by junior Sean Hilverding in the 3,000 meters, who placed fourth at the meet with a 9 minute, 7 second finish. He was four seconds away from tying his own school record. Sophomore Chance Callahan jumped to third place in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump to lead Point Park.