Minot Daily News - Sports Briefs

POSTED: December 6, 2009

Meza, Velasquez qualify for nationals

FREMONT, Neb. - Minot State University already has two runners qualified for the 2010 NAIA Outdoor National Track and Field championship.

MSU sophomores Cory Meza and Brandon Velasquez both earned trips to Marion, Ind., by virtue of solid times at the Midland Lutheran Warrior Half Marathon held Saturday. Meza finished 13th with a solid time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, 48 seconds. Velasquez was 16th with a time of 1:14:36. MSU's Leon Medina also competed in the race but did not finish.

"They both ran real well and got right there in a pack in the first three miles," MSU head coach Stu Melby said. "Cory moved up to the next pack and put some distance between them. He was real strong and aggressive. When he passed me at about the 12-mile mark, he had a big smile on his face because he knew he had run well.

"Brandon did well too. His quad cramped about the 8-mile mark but he pushed on. They were bucking a head wind so both did well in that."

The NAIA uses the half marathon times to qualify for the marathon at the national meet. The outdoor national championship is May 20-22.