AZUSA, Calif. – Annika Esvelt and Seattle Pacific distance coach Eric Hansen both felt she was ready to go out and break through with a big-time performance in the 10,000 meters.
 
On Thursday night, she did exactly that.
 
The Falcons standout went the distance 33 minutes, 41.59 seconds at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her time for 25 laps around the Cougar Athletic Stadium track at Azusa Pacific was a personal best by 10 seconds and fast enough to lift her into the No. 3 spot on the NCAA Division II national list by the end of the evening.
 
 

"That went pretty much according to plan," Esvelt said. "I felt like I paced it really well and had a group (around me) that was really good for pacing. I felt like during the middle, like around 5K, I felt better than maybe I thought I was going to. And then with eight laps to go, I didn't feel as terrible as I thought I would."
 
Esvelt now is virtually assured of making it to this year's NCAAs in both the 10,000 and the 5000. She came into the week already  No. 4 on the 5000 qual list with her 16:18.94 at the Stanford Invite on March 29.
 
In fact, ever since that Stanford race, Hansen has had no doubt that Esvelt could pull off a performance like Thursday's.
 
"Some of the workouts she has done, she has definitely shown she's capable of a time like that," Hansen said. "But being capable of it and actually doing it on that day is easier said than done. She had good competition, had a good race, executed really well, and it worked out."
 
Esvelt's previous best of 33:51.56 that gave her an All-American fourth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA national meet already was the second-fastest time in school history. Thursday's effort further solidified her grip on spot. The only one faster is 33:05.80 by Benet Moe in 1987.
 
She also remains No. 4 on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's all-time list.
 
 

"She ran awesome," Hansen said. "She stuck to the plan really well and was able to mix it up with some of the best 10K runners in the country. She looked really strong the whole way, ran a great race, and was rewarded with an awesome PR."
 
The field was stacked with NCAA Division I racers, including Florida junior Parker Valby, who won easily in 30 minutes, 50.43 seconds. That was more than two minutes in front of runner-up Jenna Hutchins from Brigham Young (32:52.01). Valby currently owns both the D1 indoor and outdoor 5000-meter titles. This was her first collegiate 10K.
 
The only Division II runner ahead of Esvelt was West Texas A&M's Florence Ewageneza, who won the NCAA indoor 5K title in March. She was third on Thursday in 32:52.54, giving her the D2 lead, with Edinboro's Kylie Anicic in No. 2 at 33:25.55. Then it's Esvelt in the No. 3 spot.
 
The NCAA has a "desired minimum" of 20 competitors in each individual event at nationals, which are set for May 23-25 in Emporia, Kansas. With her No. 3 ranking in the 10,000 and No. 4 in the 5000, she is way beyond having to worry about earning a spot in either race. (She also ran both in the 2022 NCAAs.)
 
But that doesn't mean Esvelt's going to take it easy between now and nationals.
 
"I feel like I knew I could do that," she said of taking care of taking care of her national-qualifying business by this point of the season. "It's not a surprise, but I'm not going to let up on the gas. I just like going hard to see what else I've got every time. I still want to do my best in every race."
 
CHANG POSTS TWO PBs IN HEPTATHLON
Hannah Chang came up with personal bests in two of the four events and was sitting in eighth place overall in her group with 2,692 points after the first day of the women's heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa.
 
 

The SPU sophomore got over the high jump bar at 4 feet, 11¾ inches in the second event of the day, good for 644 points. That tied for second place and beat her previous best of 4-10½ from last year's Great Northwest Athletic Conference multi-event meet.
 
Chang concluded Day 1 by clocking 26.38 seconds in the 200-meter dash, worth 764 points. Her previous PB in that one was 23.51 last April 22 at the Wildcat Open I Ellensburg. Thursday's time was fifth-best among the 12 competitors
 
She opened with a 14.53 in the 100-meter hurdles, putting 905 points onto the scoresheet. She was second overall in that event, trailing only Olivia Keller from St. Thomas of Minnesota.
 
The only event that didn't go as well for Chang was the shot put, as she had a mark of 25 feet, 3¾ inches. That gave her 379 points.
 
With the long jump, javelin, and 800 meters still to come on Friday, Chang is 102 points behind Group F leader Eucabeth Kivikangas of North Dakota. Kivikangas has 2,794 points.
 
PACIFIC COAST INVITATIONAL
-- David Njeri let fly with his first 23-footer of the season in the long jump, going 23 feet, 1¼ inches. That came on his third and final attempt, as he fouled on his first two.
-- Njeri finished the day with a 48-0 effort in the triple jump. His season best is 48-6 on March 22 at the Mangrum Invitational in San Marcos, putting himself onto the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list.
-- Evan Carpenter and Aniya Green had season-best races in the 100-meter dash. Carpenter clocked 11.41 and Green hit the wire in 12.56.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons will be back in Long Beach on Friday for the Beach Invitational. The first race of the day for SPU will be the men's 10,000 meters at 9:00 a.m.


NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Pacific Coast Invitational
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Jack Rose Track / Long Beach, Calif.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
100 – 1, Denisha Cartwright (Minnesota St.) 11.28.  SPU – 67, Aniya Green 12.56.
200 – 1, Denisha Cartwright (Minnesota St.) 23.45.  SPU – 56, Aniya Green 25.74.
400 – 1, Niesha Burgher (Texas El Paso) 54.65.  SPU – 39, Marissa Crane 58.65; 42, Johanna Brown 59.20; 51, Charisma Smith 1:00.68.
High jump – 1, Cierra Alphin (BYU) 6-0¾ / 1.85m.  SPU – T41, Paige Kessler 4-11½ / 1.51m.
Pole vault – 1, Kristen Leland (Unattached) 14-11½ / 4.56m.  SPU – Lizzy Daugherty 11-10 / 3.61m and Emily Thomason 11-10 / 3.61m.
 
 
Bryan Clay Invitational
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Cougar Athletic Stadium / Azusa, Calif.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
10,000 – 1, Parker Valby (Florida) 30:50.43.  SPU – 16, Annika Esvelt 33:41.59.
 
HEPTATHLON
Standings (through 4 of 7 events; last 3 events on Friday) – 1, Eucabeth Kivikangas (N. Dakota) 2,794; 2, Oliver Keller (St. Thomas-Minn.) 2,784; 3, Jacqi Rae (Minn.-Duluth) 2,780; 4, Jazzmine Davis (UC Irvine) 2,774; 5, Josie Liebl (St. Thomas-Minn.) 2,753; 6, Payton Phillips (Pittsburg St.-Kan.) 2,739; 7, Grace Blanchette (Hawaii) 2,699; 8, Hannah Chang (SPU) 2,692; 9, Laura Sangiacomo (UC Irvine) 2,635; 10, Isabella Vally (UC Santa Barbara) 2,577; 11, Kayla Beach (Air Force) 2,513; 12, Chaselyn Amos (UC Irvine) 2,437.
 
100-meter hurdles – 1, Olivia Keller (St. Thomas-Minn.) 14.49 (910 points).  SPU – 2, Hannah Chang 14.53 (905).
High jump – 1, Josie Liebl (St. Thomas-Minn.) 5-2¼ / 1.58m (712 points).  SPU – T2, Chang 4-11¾ / 1.52m (644)
Shot put – 1, Jacqi Rae (Minn.-Duluth) 44-3¼ / 13.49m (760 points).  SPU – 12, Chang 25-3¾ / 7.69m (379).
200 – 1, Jazzmine Davis (UC Irvine) 24.88 (898 points).  SPU – 5, Chang 26.38 (764).
 
 
NCAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Pacific Coast Invitational
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Jack Rose Track / Long Beach, Calif.
 
Team scores – Not kept.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
100 – 1, Jabez Reeves (Minnssota St.) 10.37.  SPU – 108, Evan Carpenter 11.41.
200 – 1, Javin Bostic (Air Force) 20.92.  SPU – 89, Evan Carpenter 23.40.
800 – 1, Cristian Martinez (Long Beach St.) 1:51.31.  SPU – 20, Jonathan Lieb 2:01.54.
Pole vault – 1, Austin Miller (Vault House) 18-10¾ / 5.76m.  SPU – T48, Kainoa Lee 14-5½ / 4.41m.
Long jump – 1, James Gilbert (Minnesota St.) 25-10 / 7.87m.  SPU – 21, David Njeri 23-1¼ / 7.04m.
Triple jump – 1, Shemar Miller (Minnesota St.) 50-1¼ / 15.27m.  SPU – 10, David Njeri 48-0 / 14.63m.