After the termination of head coach Kelly Parsley last Friday, a select group of athletes from the indoor track and field team still competed at the Kent State Tune Up as a last chance meet to qualify for nationals.

Parsley was head coach of the Cross Country and Track and Field programs at Point Park for the past five years. Due to personal reasons, he was let go last Friday.

The Kent State Tune-Up on Saturday was Point Park’s last regular season meet before the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor National Championship meet. A number of athletes were given one last shot a reaching qualifying standards for nationals.

Point Park’s biggest highlight Friday afternoon was junior jumper Chance Callahan. Callahan competed in both the men’s triple jump and the long jump placing fifth in both events. The junior set a school record in the long jump with a leap of 6.96 meters. In the triple jump, Callahan leaped 14.01 meters, just enough to qualify at the B standard.

Junior Xavier Stephens competed in the 800 meter dash in hopes to qualify in a second event. Stephens ran a school record time of 1:55.30. However, after conversions of track sizes, his time was changed to 1:56.95 which was just 0.05 seconds shy of the qualifying standard.

Stephens will compete at nationals after qualifying in 1,000 meter with a time of 2:32.42 earlier in the season.

While no other qualifications occured, the Pioneers saw a season best finish in the  in the 3,000 as junior Bryan Gutierrez placed 20th in 9:9.17.

No Pioneer women reached a qualifying standard Saturday, and sophomore Alyssa Boyd came closest for Point Park. Boyd competed in the 1,000 meter and finished in 3:10. With the qualifying standard 3 minutes, 4 seconds, Boyd missed the mark by just six seconds.

Sophomore Miranda Schry had the performance of her career competing in the triple jump. Schry placed 20th after jumping 10.18 meters. Schry also competed in the long jump in which she leaped 4.61 meters.

Senior Taylor Celich ran in the 800 meter dash completing the race in 2 minutes, 32 seconds, good enough for a 16th place finish.

The NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championship event will be held in Brookings, S.D. Feb 28-March 2.