(Maryville, MO) The Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams will each send eight individuals to the 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships set for March 13-14 in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Northwest women, ranked No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA national index, will be represented at the national meet by sophomore Moe Bianchi, senior Jordan Hammond, senior Mercedes Isaacson-Cover, junior Alex Koschel, senior Hiba Mahgoub, sophomore Addie Palser, freshman Jada Shanklin and senior Audrey Wichmann. The Bearcats 4×400 relay squad of Mahgoub, Hammond, Palser and Bianchi also earned a spot at the national meet.
The Bearcat men, ranked No. 14 in today‘s USTFCCCA national index, will also send eight competitors to the NCAA meet. The men are represented by senior Karim Achengli, sophomore Omar Austin, junior Jhordan Ccope, junior Caelon Harkey, senior Marcus Klein, senior Tyrell Maddox, sophomore Abdelrahim Mahgoub and freshman Gavyn Monday. The men’s 4×400 relay team of Harkey, Monday, Mahgoub and Maddox also earned a spot in the championship.
BEARCAT WOMEN’S NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
Moe Bianchi, So., Papillion, Nebraska
Bianchi will compete in the 4×400 relay as the squad qualified with a time of 3:46.04, which ranks as the No. 10 best time this season.
Jordan Hammond, Sr., Kansas City, Missouri
Hammond qualified in three events – pentathlon, 60-meter hurdles and the 4×400 relay. Hammond’s best score in the pentathlon came at the Bearcat Open on Feb. 2, 2020, when she tallied 3,717 points. Her pentathlon score ranks as the No. 5 best point total in the nation. Hammond’s time of 8.56, which she ran at the MIAA Championships, in the 60-meter hurdles ranks as the seventh-best time in the country. Hammond will be competing in her third NCAA Indoor Track & Field national championship meet having qualified in 2018 and 2019. Hammond took part in the 2018 meet in the 400 meters and then earned a spot in the 2019 meet in the 60 meter hurdles and pentathlon.
Mercedes Isaacson-Cover, Sr., Elkhorn, Nebraska
Isaacson-Cover earned a spot at the NCAA meet in the triple jump. She jumped 12.28m at the MIAA Championships, which ranks as the seventh-best jump in the nation. Isaacson-Cover won the MIAA title in the triple jump. She will be competing in her second NCAA Indoor Track & Field national championship meet having earned a spot in the 2019 meet in both the long ump and triple jump.
Alex Koschel, Jr., Loveland, Colorado
Koschel will compete in the pentathlon at the championship meet. Koschel scored 3,630 points at the MIAA Championship to move her into a spot at the NCAAs. Koschel’s score rank No. 15 in the country entering the meet.
Hiba Mahgoub, Sr., Kansas City, Missouri
Mahgoub will stay busy at the NCAA meet by taking part in three events. Mahgoub has qualified in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 4×400 relay. Her time of 23.89 in the 200 meters ranks as the fifth-best time in the nation. She also clocked the fourth-best time of 54.02 in the 400 meters at the MIAA Championships. Mahgoub will be making her second indoor nationals appearance after earning a spot in the 2018 meet in the 400 meters.
Addie Palser, So., Kearney, Nebraska
Palser will take part in the 4×400 relay as the squad qualified with a time of 3:46.04, which ranks as the No. 10 best time this season.
Jada Shanklin, Fr., Houston, Texas
Shanklin will compete in the high jump in Birmingham. She posted the fourth-best high jump in the nation with a jump of 1.75 meters at the Bearcat Open on Feb. 7.
Audrey Wichmann, Sr., Kirksville, Missouri
Wichmann will also represent Northwest in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. Wichmann is tied for the nation’s fourth-best jump at 1.75m. Wichmann reached the 1.75m jump at the MIAA Championship meet in Pittsburg, Kansas. Wichman captured the MIAA title in the high jump last weekend in Pittsburg as well. Wichman will be making her second trip to indoor nationals after qualifying in the high jump in 2018.
BEARCAT MEN’S NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
Karim Achengli, Sr., Adra, Spain
Achengli will compete in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA meet. Achengli qualified with the No. 19-ranked time in the country at 14:14.96, which he accomplished at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 14. Achengli will be making his second trip to the national meet after qualifying in 2019 in the 5,000 meters.
Omar Austin, So., Newark, New Jersey
Austin qualified for the 400 meters with a clocking of 46.67. Austin’s time ranks No. 3 in the nation and he turned in his 46.67 at the Gorilla Classic on Feb. 14. This will mark Austin’s second trip in as many years to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. He took part in the 2019 NCAA meet in the 200 and 400 meter races.
Jhordan Ccope, Jr., Huancoya, Peru
Ccope earned a spot in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:06.24, which ranks as the No. 10 time in the nation. Ccope posted that time at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic on Dec. 6, 2019.
Caelon Harkey, Jr., Bellevue, Nebraska
Harkey will take part in the 4×400 relay as the squad qualified with a time of 3:11.89, which ranks as the second-best time in the nation this year. Northwest ran its 3:11.89 at the Bearcat Open on Feb. 7. Harkey will be making his second trip to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships after taking part in the 2019 meet in the 4×400 relay.
Marcus Klein, Sr., Harlan, Iowa
Klein will compete in the long jump in Birmingham. Klein jumped 7.45 meters to earn the 10th-best jump in the nation. His best leap of the year came at the Gorilla Classis on Feb. 14. Klein will be making his second appearance at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. He went in 2019 in the long jump and the 4×400 relay.
Tyrell Maddox, Sr., Philadelphia, Pennyslvania
Maddox is a member of the 4×400 relay squad that qualified with a time of 3:11.89. It ranks as the second-best time in the nation this year. Northwest ran the 3:11.89 at the Bearcat Open on Feb. 7. Maddox was crowned the MIAA champion in the 400 meters this past weekend in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Abdelrahim Mahgoub, So., Kansas City, Missouri
Mahgoub will take part in the 4×400 relay at the NCAA Championships. The Bearcat 4×400 relay team holds the second-fastest time in NCAA Division II this season. Mahgoub is the 2020 MIAA champion in the 600.
Gavyn Monday, Fr., Independence, Missouri
Monday will take part in the 4×400 relay at the NCAA Championships. The Bearcat 4×400 relay team holds the second-fastest time in NCAA Division II this season.
