Lynchburg, Va. – Nine athletes for the University of Lynchburg indoor track & field teams will compete on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 at the Tufts National Qualifier in Boston and the NCAA South Region Final Qualifier  in Winchester, Va. in the final weekend ahead of the NCAA Championships.

Following a performance at the Old Dominion Athletic Indoor Championships that saw the men's team secure its fifth consecutive conference title, along with a second-place team finish for the women, several Hornets hope to improve their national standing in the final weekend.

Entering Friday, six Hornets have produced marks throughout the season that would qualify for the NCAA Championships. Three athletes boast marks inside Division III's top three.

Lamont Victoria currently occupies second in the nation for the men's high jump with a 7' ½" (2.15m) mark. Additionally, Chasen Hunt clocked an 8:02.58 performance in the men's 3k during the team's first trip to Boston, ranking him third in the nation. In February, Micah Leech claimed 5,086 points in the men's heptathlon at the Doc Hale Invite to secure third.

Competing Athletes

The Lynchburg men's distance medley relay (DMR) team aims to generate a nationally qualifying mark at Tufts, just three weeks after the team's first attempt. The Hornets posted 10:00.67 in its first performance, which ranks 18th in Division III. 12 relay teams will advance to the NCAA Championships.

Individually, Hannah Edwards is the only distance athlete to compete on the women's side as she prepares for the 800m run. Edwards enjoyed a 2:10.01 result at the Widener Final Qualifier last season, cutting five seconds off her time from the regular season. She will need to surpass the 2:12.66 mark to have a chance at qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

Margo Fox will compete in the women's pentathlon for the first time this season after producing podium finishes in the women's high jump and long jump at the ODAC Championships. The 20th-place mark sits at 3,428 entering the weekend, while Fox's personal best is 3,294.

Chris Watkins will also compete for the multis team, participating in the men's heptathlon. The first-year Hornet competed in the high jump and pole vault last weekend, and he has enjoyed a personal best in three consecutive weekends for jumps or vaults.

Kenzie Swicegood will compete in the women's weight throw, looking to qualify for NCAAs with a mark of at least 56' 1¾" (17.11m). The junior's personal best sits at 55' 1" (16.79m) from the Shenandoah Holiday Kickoff, and she will compete in the same venue this weekend.

Lastly, Jamarcus Brown looks to elevate into the NCAA Championships to cap a condensed indoor season following his sophomore campaign with the Lynchburg men's basketball team. Brown cleared 6' 8¾" (2.05m) at the Rockingham Collegiate Classic, which places him tied for 16th with nine other athletes. A clearance of 6' 9" would position him eighth nationally if he can improve his mark.

Facilities

Both facilities feature 200-meter flat tracks, and the Hornets have competed at both facilities earlier in the season.

Shenandoah's track at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center is one of two indoor facilities in the ODAC. The track wraps around the Hornets' basketball court, while the facility can seat 5,000 people.

At Tufts, the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center was opened in 1999, and the track was resurfaced in 2016.

National Selections

National qualifying marks will be announced on Sunday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. on NCAA.com. The NCAA Championships will take place on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Live Results

To follow action from the Tufts Final Qualifier, click here.

For live results from the NCAA South Region Final Qualifier, click here.

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--LYN--