Clinton, Mississippi – March 5, 2017- The Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) track and field teams wrapped up their second meet of the season. The Lions competed in the Mississippi College meet. The field consisted of 13 teams ranging from NJCAA to NCAA Division I. SAGU was the only NAIA team represented.
From the start, head coach Jason Covarrubias says SAGU made their name known, “The day started off for the Lady Lions with a bang. Destiny Garza owned the 5k, finishing only 20 seconds off of her outdoor track personal best. It’s crazy to think that she is that close to a personal record in early March.”
Garza finished the 5k in first place, with a time of 18:27.30. She also competed in the 800m, a rare event for her, and broke the school record with the time of 2:33.45. SAGU’s Caitlin Cruz competed in the 1500m and set a new personal record by over four seconds.
The Lions also made a splash. Jerry Nava set the tone and finished second in the 5K. Nava crossed the line at 16:09.24 and was followed by freshman Robert Herrera who placed seventh overall with a time of 16:31.03.
Nava also ran in the 3000 steeple chase and qualified for the NCCAA National Championship with a time of 10:03.69. He beat the qualifying mark by nearly seven minutes.
In the 800m, the Lions finished in 9 th , 12 th and 15 th place with Jose Campos leading the charge, followed by Robert Herrera and Raul Olmos .
The 1500m was the Lions most impressive race of the day. Cody Walker and Jose Campos were both in the second heat. Walker, in his first college meet, raced to claim the 1500m SAGU record with a time of 4:10:44. Campos had his eyes on the same record and crossed the line closely behind at 4:10.68.
“All in all it was a great meet for us,” says Coach Covarrubias, “The entire experience of driving six hours the night before simply put us in mind-set that it was a business trip. This kids performed excellent and the times that they are reeling out at this point of the season is really exciting. We must remain focused, pay extra attention to detail and work hard; if we can continue these three things all season it will be the best season in SAGU T&F history.”
To view the full results: https://www.tfrrs.org/results/47362.html
On March 25, 2017, SAGU will compete at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
Contact: Natalie Tristan, SAGU SID, [email protected]
