HOUSTON (Mar. 14) - Northwest Nazarene University's Ashley Puga captured the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field women's 800-meter national championship this afternoon, posting a time of 2:07.63 at Yeoman Field House on the campus of the University of Houston.
Puga, who was the second-seed entering Friday's prelims, qualified first on Friday and then out-distanced the competition by almost three full seconds today, finishing ahead of second-place Anja Puc of Nebraska-Omaha (2:10.05).
"We really came into the meet with two goals...to earn All-American with the relay team and to set herself up with a chance to win the 800," NNU assistant coach Ben Gall commented. "She (Ashley) really stuck to it and it worked perfectly."
"In today's final the field went out really hard and she held back, knowing her plan, and then just reeled them all in on the final lap," Gall added.
Now a five-time All-American, Puga is the first NCAA Division II national champion for the Crusaders in any sport and the third track & field individual national champion overall.
"It hasn't quite sunk in yet, but I'm very thankful and excited," Puga said. "My senior year and I'm not sure you could finish it any better for me. It's definitely been something that's been up in the dream area and been a goal of mine for awhile now, so it was an awesome experience and one I'll remember for the rest of my life. It's pretty cool to have such a great race at nationals and against such great competition."
On how the pack went out quick in today's race..."I just tried to stay calm," she added. "...just ran my own race and tried to kick it at the end and it ended up going well."
Steve Hills won the NAIA men's 1,500-meter crown in 1978 and Antonette Blythe won the 1981 AIAW women's long jump title. Hills time was 3:45.13 and Blythe jumped 18-0.
Women 800 Meter Run
1, Ashley Puga, NW Nazarene, 2:07.63. 2, Anja Puc, Neb. - Omaha, 2:10.05. 3, Venessa Lee, Pittsburg St, 2:10.49. 4, Liz Palkie, Minn-Duluth, 2:10.65. 5, Stephanie Charnigo, Findlay, 2:10.89. 6, Katherine McCarthy, Grand Valley, 2:11.70. 7, Rachael Johnson, W Washington, 2:11.82. 8, Stellah Sang, Dst/Columbia, 2:13.34. 9, Ashley Roemer, Moorhead, 2:15.40.