March 6, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - (live results) Jonathan Hilton of Oklahoma Baptist University grabbed the early lead in the men's heptathlon with 2,987 points during first-day competition at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the Minidome on the campus of East Tennessee State University, Thursday.

Forrest Gregory of Doane College (Neb.) is currently second with 2,868 points, while Azusa Pacific freshman Casey Stevick is a close third at 2,841.

Hilton registered personal records in the long jump (22' 4¼") and the high jump (6' 7") to earn the frontrunner role heading in the final three events on Friday.

In the women's competition, Zora Golcevska won the pentathlon and in the process gave Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) the early lead in the women's team competition.

Golcevska registered personal records in three events and a season-best in another to score 3,642 points, an Azusa Pacific record.  Combined with teammate Tiffeny Parker's fifth-place showing with 3,337 points, the Cougars tallied 12 points in today's only event final.  Wayland Baptist University (Texas) is second with 8 points on the strength of Latanya Nation's school-record effort of 3,409 points.  Malone College (Ohio) is third with six points after Laura McElrath scored 3,350.

Golcevska opened the heptathlon with a school-record performance of 8.74 in the 60-meter hurdles, besting her own school standard of 8.80 that she set last year.  She followed with lifetime bests in the shot put (38' 3½") and the long jump (18' 5¾") to take a commanding lead over the competition heading into the final event, the 800 meters.

"I gained a lot of confidence right from the start with my time in the hurdles," said Golcevska, a Slovakian native who came to Azusa Pacific by way of Santa Monica City College.  "That helped me the rest of the way today.  The records are nice because it sets the table for others who come after me and motivates them to become better athletes."

In the only other competition of the day, both the men and women staged preliminary rounds in all three relays events - 4x400 meters, 4x800 meters and the distance medley.  All the pre-meet favorites advanced in their respective events except on the men's side where St. Gregory's College (Okla.) was bolted from the 4x400, and Lindenwood University (Mo.) - the 2005 and 2006 NAIA champion -- failed to get its distance medley and 4x800 relays into the next round.  The Lions entered with the NAIA's top time in the DMR this season at 10:14.49, but they clocked a 10:49.25 to miss the cut by a large margin.  In the 4x800, they ran a season-best 7:51.60 and still missed advancing to Friday's finals by just .74 of a second.

Day two of the three-day NAIA Indoor Championship Meet continues Friday (March 7) with the conclusion of the  men's heptathlon and four more track finals - the men's and women's 4x800-meter relays and the men's and women's 3000-meter walks.  The field events take center stage for the first time with finals set for the men's and women's weight throw, women's pole vault, men's and women's long jump, and men's high jump.

For detailed results of the NAIA Indoor Championship Meet, go to the Internet at www.cfpitiming.com