Covenant News

NPU Athlete Seeks Berth in National Competition

NAPERVILLE, IL (May 24, 2004) - Classes may be over for North Park University (NPU) students, but one athlete continues to compete with hopes of qualifying for a national competition.

Junior Lucia Abel won the triple jump event last Friday at the North Central College Invitational Track and Field meet, leaping 38 feet, 2-1/4 inches. That effort ranks her 12th among all Division III triple jumpers heading into this weekend's national meet at Millikin University in Decatur.

Abel had already beaten a provisional qualifying standard of 36 feet, 11 inches with a 37-8-1/2 leap at the Chicagoland Intercollegiate Track and Field meet in April, one of 32 Division III athletes to do so this spring. She raised that mark with a 37-10-1/2 leap two weekends ago at North Central before making a season-best leap last weekend.

While Abel still needs a strong effort to fare well at nationals, a finish in the top five is a possibility. Defending national champion Darcell Edwards of McMurry University in Texas has the top mark of the season a leap of 41-8-3/4, but only one other athlete had bettered the 39-8-1/2 automatic qualifying standard as most of the top 10 jumpers were within a few inches of Abel's top mark in 2004.

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