Two short weeks remain until the Division II 2010 outdoor track and field championships. This past week included the rest of the conference meets; RMAC, GNAC and PSAC and a host of last chance meets. Athletes are urgently trying for those automatic qualifying marks and many did. As usual, let me know if I missed anything. The link to final list is here. In the spirit of championships, let’s start speculating and give me some of your predictions for the championship races.

RMAC- Nebraska-Kearney (183 points)’s men’s teams toppled distance powerhouse, Adams State (174 points) to win the RMAC championships. Chadron was third with 146 points.  The majority of Nebraska Kearney’s points coming from the throws. Tobey Dane automatically qualified in the shot put with a mark of 18.60 m.

The Adams State’s women repeated with 193 points to take the title. Nebraska Kearney was second (161 points) and Western State was third (98 points).  Adams State took eleven individual titles including; Amanda Doyle in the Hepathlon with an automatic mark of 5159 and Alicia Nelson with a 10:58.04 in the 3,000m steeplechase.

GNAC- Western Washington took the men’s title with a score of 221.5. Central Washington was third in 182 and Western Oregon was third in 166.5.  Alaska Anchorage’s Mica Chelimo won the steeple in an automatic qualifying time of 9:02.79. Western Washington’s Ryan Brown won the pole vault with an auto mark of 5.15 m.

Seattle Pacific took their fourth straight women’s title with 224 points. Western Washington was second with 190 points followed by Northwest Nazarene in third with 128 points. Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler doubled and took the wins in the 800m (2:06.38) and 1,500m (4:24.01). Western Washington’s Sarah Porter took the win in the 5,000m with a time of 16:39.39.

PSAC- Shippensburg won another close men’s conference title for the second year in the row with a score of 163.5 and only four points over East Stroudsburg (159.5). Lock Haven was third with 103 points. Lock Haven’s Chris Edelman (46.57) and East Stroudsburg’s Negus Graham (46.64) automatically qualified in the 400 meters in the preliminaries. Shippensburg scored the majority of their points in the distance events, finishing first in three.

The Shippensburg women claimed their first title since 1998 with a score of 212.5 points. Slippery Rock was second with 183 points followed by Kutztown with 99.5 points. Indiana PA’s Maddy Outman won the 400m with an auto mark of 54.79.  In the 800m, California PA’s Clare McSweeney ran a 2:08.75 to take the title over Shippensburg’s Amanda Radabaugh (2:09.10). Neely Spence won the 5,000m with a 16:54.38, Slippery Rock’s Jen Harpp was second with a 16:56.83.  Harpp went on to win the 10,000m with a 34:16.89 to auto qualify. Edinboro’s Tina Yi was second with an auto mark of 34:50.62.

Other marks- Last chance meets are a bit like final exams, it the last chance for athlete to pass or fail.  UWL Eagle Open produced two auto marks in the 800m; Augustana’s Aduo Omot ran a 1:49.46 followed by Minnesota State-Mankato’s Denise Mokaya in 1:49.54. The North Carolina A&T Invitational also had athletes run automatic marks; St.Augustine’s Abney Antonio won the 400m in 46.40, Queen’s Simon Stuetzel ran a 3:45.01 in the 1500m, and UNC-Pembroke’s Karlos Jordan ran a 20.98 in the 200m.  Columbus State’s Shelisa Crawford ran a 23.72 at the Georgia Tech Invitational. At the same meet, Harding’s Daniel Kirwa ran a 13:58.86 in the 5000m. Johnson C. Smith’s Leford Green bettered his 400m hurdle time with a 49.46 at Georgia Tech. Findlay’s Stephanie Charnigo ran a 2:09.00 at the Dr. Keeler Track & Field Invitational.