Wheeling Jesuit men’s track and field athlete, Stewart Jones, earned WJU’s Male Athlete of the Week for qualifying for the 2013 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
The Wheeling Jesuit University track and field teams had six athletes achieve NCAA provisional marks and a chance to compete in the NCAA Division II Track and Field National Championships. The NCAA season finale qualifying lists were released on Tuesday evening, and WJU’s Stewart Jones made the cut. Jones currently owns the fifth fastest men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase time in NCAA Division II at 9:00.39.
The senior from Weirton, W.Va., will be making his second appearance to the NCAA Division II Track and Field National Championship Meet and second attempt to garner All-American honors this year. At last year’s NCAA Championship meet, he placed seventh overall in the 3,000m steeplechase and earned All-American accolades with a 9:19.95 time. During the 2012-13 cross country season, he finished 35th overall with a 10,000 meter run time of 30:19 for All-American distinction. His time at the 2012 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships stands as a WJU record.
At the 2013 track and field championships, Jones will seek to claim the 3,000m steeple national title and approach the starting line for the final times as a collegiate athlete. Jones qualifying time of 9:00.39 ranks fifth in NCAA Division II while his personal fastest time and WJU record is 8:56.60 (2012). The men’s 3,000m steeplechase prelims are scheduled for Thursday, May 23 at 7:10 p.m. MT (9:10 p.m. ET) followed by the finals on Friday, May 24 at 7:35 p.m. MT (9:35 p.m. ET).
The NCAA Division II Track and Field National Championships will be held on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo at Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colo.
