PREVIEW: Track & Field Hosts 13th Consecutive ASUN Outdoor Championship

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The North Florida track and field teams will compete against the conference's best athletes at the ASUN Outdoor Championship hosted at the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium from May 12-14.

The Ospreys seek their first ASUN team titles for both men's and women's teams in program history. They will be ready to improve from last year's meet, where the men placed fourth in the conference with 67 points and the women placed fifth overall with 37.50 points.

Nathan Jubran looks to defend his men's 10,000m title, in which he set the ASUN Championship meet record for the fastest time in the race at 29:30.48. Timothy Doyle and Aidan O'Gorman also have sights set on placing once again in the 1500m and 10,000m races respectively, along with Gavin O'Brien, who was third last season in the 3000m steeplechase.

LAST TIME OUT

Top Marks at UNF Invitational

Tariq Lajoie recorded a season-best mark of 2.05m in the men's high jump on his first attempt, which also matched the best jump of his career.
He grabbed second place for the third time this outdoor season, along with both the Knights Invite and the Florida Relays.

Top Times at UNF Invitational

Timothy Doyle was the top Osprey runner in the 1500m with a time of 3:46.94 to grab second overall, while Robert Pedroza placed third in both the 800m and the 1500m.
Nathan Jubran posted an impressive time in the 5000m invite with a season-best time of 14:25.64, along with Seth Martinez who also finished in the top five at 14:35.08 for a new lifetime best.
Onix Ortiz recorded a personal-best time of 9:25.68 in the 3000m steeplechase race to earn a season-best finish of second place, while Simon DeVoss grabbed sixth in the race at 9:45.75.
Emma Jane Schlageter finished first in her heat and eighth overall in the 1500m race clocking in a time of 4:39.69.
Mia McLain clocked in at 10:52.16 to grab second place in the 3000m steeplechase, which is a lifetime best mark and her first sub-11 minute time in the race.
Hannah Martin crushed her personal-best time by almost a full minute in the 5000m invite race with a 12th-place finish notching a time of 17:46.16.

NOTABLE OPPONENTS

The field for the ASUN Championship will include athletes from nine total ASUN teams. The top-ranked men's team is Liberty, who is ranked eighth in the Southeast region, while Kennesaw State is the top-ranked women's team.

The opposing field in the ASUN meet for both men's and women's includes Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, Liberty and Lipscomb. Jacksonville and Jacksonville State will also be competing exclusively in the women's field this week.

UNF men's team are ranked No. 17 in the South Region, which is the third-best ASUN team in that respective region, and is the fifth-best team in the conference rankings through the regular season. On the women's side, they are ranked No. 33 in the South region as the fourth-best ASUN team in the region, and are also inside the top 10 for the ASUN rankings, according to USTFCCCA.

PIGG'S THOUGHTS

"I believe this year's ASUN Championships is the deepest and best quality championship ever. There have been a lot of amazing performances from conference athletes this year. These quality fields should produce some great races.

We have been building toward this championship since January with a lot of hard work from our athletes. I am proud of the steps we have taken to improve and look forward to some great races this weekend."
-- head coach Jeff Pigg

UP NEXT

The Ospreys will await to see if anyone qualifies for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminaries after the completion of the ASUN Championships this week.

MEET SCHEDULE

Thursday
Men's 400mH Trial - 5:35 pm
Ryan Thomas

Women's 400mH Trial - 5:55 pm
Celine D'Anna

Men's High Jump - 6:30 pm
Tariq Lajoie

Men's 1500m Trial - 6:45 pm
Aiden Arnold
Timothy Doyle

Women's 1500m Trial - 7:05 pm
Mia McLain
Emma Jane Schlageter

Men's 10,000m - 8:30 pm
Nathan Jubran
Seth Martinez
John McKenzie
Aidan O'Gorman
Justin Tackling
Thomas Weiler

Women's 10,000m - 9:15 pm
Isa Leen
Raquel Lespasio

Friday
Men's 400m Trial - 4:00 pm
Jordan Travieso

Women's High Jump - 5:45 pm
Kaley Petrosky
Izabelle Hays

Men's 800m Trial - 5:50 pm
Ladarius Tellis
Timothy Doyle
Robert Pedroza

Women's 800m Trial - 6:15 pm
Emma Jane Schlageter

Men's 3000m Steeplechase - 6:45 pm
Gavin O'Brien
Onix Ortiz Vazquez

Women's 3000m Steeplechase - 7:00 pm
Camryn Cooney
Mia McLain

Saturday
Men's 1500m Final - 1:05 pm
To be determined

Women's 1500m Final - 1:15 pm
To be determined

Men's 400m Final - 1:40 pm
To be determined

Men's 800m Final - 2:00 pm
To be determined

Women's 800m Final - 2:05 pm
To be determined

Men's 400mH Final - 2:15 pm
To be determined

Women's 400mH Final - 2:25 pm
To be determined

Men's 5000m - 2:45 pm
Nathan Jubran
Seth Martinez
Aidan O'Gorman
Thomas Weiler

Women's 5000m - 3:10 pm
Billie Castillo
Camryn Cooney
Erica Fisher
Raquel Lespasio
Hannah Martin