NEWBERG, Ore -- In a final push for national appearances, several George Fox track and field athletes gave it their all at the GFU Last Chance Qualifier, with several Bruins cementing their place in the NCAA Championships.

Top Performers
Needing to get into the top 22 nationally to ensure a trip to Geneva, Ohio, Thomas McMillan did just that, scoring a total of 6488 in the decathlon to move up to 18th in the nation. McMillan won five of the ten events (shot put, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus, and 1500m) en route to the win. 

Max Ashour also put himself right on the cut line with an impressive 6474 points — the final qualifier for NCAAs at 22nd in the nation. Ashour won the pole vault and finished top three in each event.

Ellie Rising continued to improve on her time in the 800m, setting another school record with a PR time of 2:07.47 to move up to seventh in the nation. Rising will comfortably qualify for Ohio with her times in both the 800m and 1500m.

Ayahna Bahati put together a solid effort in the 100m hurdles, clocking in at a time of 14.27. Unfortunately, Bahati's time will wind up just short, as she sits at 27th in the nation; the senior's time was good for second all-time in program history.

Coming in 25th in the nation in the steeplechase was Breanna Schmitt, who won the GFU event with a time of 10:50.02. Schmitt will wait and see if any late scratches get her into the big event.

Up Next
The NCAA will officially announce qualifiers for the Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 16 at 5:00 pm. Those Bruin athletes will travel to Geneva, Ohio for the event at the SPIRE Institute from May 22-24.