AZUSA, Calif. – Nearly 11 months have gone by since Annika Esvelt raced 5000 meters on a track.

On Friday night, she was back in that event. She also is back on the NCAA provisional qualifying list.
  
 

The Seattle Pacific standout finished her 12½ laps in 16 minutes, 52.91 seconds at the Bryan Clay Invitational track and field meet. Esvelt's time on the Cougar Athletic Stadium oval easily beat the Division II provisional standard of 17:07.10.

Esvelt placed 12th among the 28 finishers in her heat of the Open A Division.
 
At last year's NCAAs, Esvelt finished 10th in the 5000, making her a second-team All-American in that event. She also was fourth in the 10,000, a first-team All-American finish.

Esvelt is entered in the 1500 on Saturday. She has done that race in four of this year's five meets, with a season best of 4:43.73 at the Point loma Collegiate Invitational on March 25 in San Diego.
 
AND THAT'S NOT ALL
--Esvelt wasn't the only Seattle Pacific athlete racing 5K on Friday. Matise Mulch, racing in the Open B Division, clocked a personal-best 17: 57.50. That was her first sub-18, beating the 18:01.67 she posted on March 24 at the Mangrum Invitational in San Marcos, Calif.
-- Fifth-year Falcon Colin Boutin answered the early-morning wake-up call, and came through with a big season best in the men's 10,000 meters. Stepping to the starting line at 7:00 a.m., Boutin did his 25 laps in 31:21.29. That was 38 seconds faster than his 31:59.54 at the season-opening Ed Boitano Invitational on March 3.
-- Senior Jon Owen came through with a career-best 1:57.01 in the men's 800 Open Division. That was more than a full second better than his previous best of 1:58.62, set in 2021.
-- Senior Libby Michael went 2:18.12 in her Open Division heat of the women's 800.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons will wrap up their trip to Azusa on Saturday. Mulch, Maya Ewing, and Katelyn Flolo will race in the Open B Division of the women's 1500. That event begins at 5:00 p.m.; all three Falcons are in Heat 2. Owen is in the men's Open B, which starts at 6:00 p.m., and he also is in Heat 2.
 
Esvelt and Michael are in the women's Open A 1500. That has a scheduled start time of 9:30 p.m., but they'll both have to wait awhile. Michael is in Heat 9, and Esvelt is in Heat 10.
 
David Njeri is in the men's triple jump, which begins at 2:00 p.m. He is in the third of four flights.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Bryan Clay Invitational
Friday, April 14, 2023
Cougar Athletic Stadium / Azusa, Calif.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
800 Open Division – 1, Malia Gay (UC Irvine) 2:09.37.  SPU – 111, Libby Michael 2:18.12.
5000 Open B Division – Hannah Tiffany (Chico State) 16:56.452.  SPU – 65, Matise Mulch 17:57.50.
5000 Open A Division Heat 4 – 1, Mackenzie Bernett (Lipscomb) 16:22.47.  SPU – 12, Annika Esvelt 16:52.91#!
 
 
NCAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Bryan Clay Invitational
Friday, April 14, 2023
Cougar Athletic Stadium / Azusa, Calif.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
800 Open Division – 1, Sean Waldvogel (Wisconsin-Parkside) 1:50.71.  SPU – 111, Jon Owen 1:57.01.
10,000 Open Division – 1, Jacob Pyeatt (Arkansas State) 29:11.66.  SPU – 66, Colin Boutin 31:21.29.