Three Tritons from the UCSD women’s track and field team will be competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Championships in Edwardsville, Ill., on May 22 through May 24.
Sara Allsup, Sagrario Hernandez and Audrey Sung will be representing the Tritons, and each of them qualified for the national meet by reaching a performance mark. The top 16 athletes in each individual track and field event qualified to compete this week.
Allsup will compete in the women’s discus event, which will take place on May 24. Hernandez will participate in the first of her two events on May 22 in the hammer throw before competing in the women’s shot put on May 23. Sung will race in the 3,000-meter run on the first day of the meet and in the 5,000-meter run on May 23.
The trio have been strong contributors for the Tritons throughout the season, leading the women’s team to a fourth-place finish at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships on May 8 and May 9.
“”They’ve really been anchoring us all season long, especially Sagrario and Audrey,”” said UCSD head coach Tony Salerno.
Hernandez won the hammer throw at the CCAA Championships with a heave of 166’5”. She also won the shot put, while breaking the UCSD school record that she already held with a throw of 50’4”.
“”She’s really been our top athlete. She’s held her own against all competitors,”” Salerno said. “”Hopefully she can keep on stepping it up at the nationals.””
Sung, UCSD’s premiere distance runner, was slowed down by an illness at the CCAAs two weeks ago, and she still managed a fourth-place finish in the 1,500, with a time of 4:41.26.
Salerno is optimistic about Sung’s chances, now that she is healthy again and has competed several times in national meets while running for both the women’s track and cross country teams.
“”She’s right there [with Hernandez]. She’s a great competitor,”” Salerno said. “”She has the most competitive experience at the national level.””
Allsup, Hernandez and Sung all earned All-American honors at last year’s nationals, and the Tritons hope that they can at least repeat that feat this year.
[Ed. Note: The UCSD men’s track and field team did not have anyone qualify for this week’s national championships.]
