Leroy Elliott Jr

The fast times four Alaskans stamped out this spring have earned them selections to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Michigan later this month.

Bids to the big meet went to Leroy Elliott Jr., of Anchorage (West High), Keith Osowski of Kodiak (Kodiak High), Vanessa Aniteye of Eagle River (Chugiak High) and Ruby Lindquist of Moose Pass (Seward High).

Keith Osowski

Three UAA athletes also made the cut for the final meet of the season, May 26-28, in Allendale, Mich.

Elliott Jr., who also starred in football for West, competes for Adams State (Colo.). He qualified in the 110-meter hurdles based on his seed time of 13.97 seconds, which slots him No. 6 in the field of 19 hurdlers.

Osowski, a distance man for Black Hills State University (S.D.), was selected in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, where his personal- and school-record 8:50.09 earned him the No. 7 seed in the field of 19. Osowski also owns a school-record time this season in the 1,500 (3:45.29) that would have squeezed into the field at nationals, but he did not declare for that event. Makes sense – the steeple and 1,500 prelims on the opening day of nationals are scheduled roughly 90 minutes apart.

Vanessa Aniteye

Aniteye, who races for Seattle Pacific University after transferring from UAA, will run the open 400 and a leg – likely the second leg – on the 4×100 relay. Her open 400 time of 54.60 ranks No. 11 in a field of 20.

Lindquist is Osowski’s teammate at Black Hills State. She was selected in the steeplechase, where her 10:36.70 ranks her No. 18 in a field of 20.

For UAA, Elena Cano qualified in two events, the heptathlon and the 400-meter hurdles. Her qualifying pentathlon score of 4,996 points in the seven-event competition ranks her tied for 12th in a field of 16. Her long hurdles time of 1:00.16 sits 15th in the 20-runner field.

Ruby Lindquist

Also competing for the Seawolves will be distance star Cole Nash, who will attempt a repeat of the difficult double he accomplished in the recent Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships. He is scheduled to race the 10,000 meters, the longest event of the meet, on opening night, then turn around less than 48 hours later and contest the 5,000. His 10-K qualifying time of 29:24.40 sits 15th among a field of 23 and his 5-K mark of 13:53.33 places him No. 7 in a field of 24.

UAA’s Joshua Wagner will join Elliott Jr., in the 110 hurdles. His school-record mark of 14.15 seeds him 17th in the 19-runner field.

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