SPOKANE – For the second straight day, and in her third event this season, Lewis-Clark State College sophomore Kelsey Klettke qualified for the NAIA national outdoor track and field meet. Klettke’s qualifying time in the 800-meter run was just one of many accomplishments for the Warriors during day two of the Duane Hartman Invitational at Spokane Falls Community College on Saturday.
Competing against multiple NCAA D-I and D-II schools including Gonzaga and the University of Idaho, Klettke won the 800 with a school-record time of 2:16.38. The native of Vancouver, Wash., qualified for nationals in the 5,000 on Friday, and in the 1,500 earlier in the season. Klettke’s official time in the 5,000 on Friday, which was not released until late, was 18:08.61.
In other women’s running events, Chelsey Leighton set school records in the 200 and 400, while the Warrior 4x400 relay team also set a program best. Leighton ran the 200 meter dash in 28.11, and the 400 in 1:03.20, and the relay squad, composed of Klettke, Leighton, Stephanie Shuel, and Kirsten White, finished the course in a time of 4:18.14.
Kyli Astle and Lindsay Szybura ran away from the field and into a photo finish for first in the steeplechase. Although they were both tagged with a time of 11:32.56, Astle was named the winner. Both athletes have already qualified for nationals in the event.
Dave Marks and Fernando Esparanza highlighted LCSC efforts on the men’s side with first and second-place finishes in the 1,500. Marks won the race with a time of 4:04.20 as Esparanza finished right next to him at 4:04.23. On Friday, Marks had a school record and race-winning time of 14:37.13 in the 5,000—a time which stands as No. 7 on the NAIA’s national list.
Tanner Smedley finished second in the steeplechase on Saturday with a time of 9:50.36. His time was just short of the program record.
In throwing events, Jake Meyer, after setting a school mark of 137-09 in the hammer on Friday, coincidentally reached a school record distance of 137-09 in the discus on Saturday.
“It was a very good day for the Warriors,” said LCSC head coach Mike Collins. “With only a couple competitions to go, things are looking very good. We hope to see improvements next weekend at Montana and Idaho and then the following week in our last meet of the year before nationals.”
