COLUMBUS, Mo. - Competing in his first collegiate meet of the season, freshman racewalk specialist Matthew Forgues of Boothbay, Maine, set a new school record and hit the automatic qualifying standard for the NAIA Men's Indoor Track and Field National Championships on Saturday at the University of Missouri All-Comers meet.

With a time of 14:30.46, Forgues cleared the ‘A' standard by half a minute and broke the former school record by 26 seconds. Forgues currently sits in seventh place nationally in the event heading into the national meet as well.

"Matt was only cleared to walk three days prior to the meet, but he got in some practice this week and hit the ‘A' standard," AU Assistant Coach Tyson Graham said. "Getting these next two weeks of training under his belt will get him more prepared for nationals and the best is yet to come as he'll be in much better racewalking shape."

Forgues will join racewalk teammate Aleksander Jakobsen of Rock Island, Ill., in the event at nationals along with sophomore hurdler Christian Awah of Willow Springs, Ill., high jumper A.J. Smith of Port Byron, Ill., and Demetryione Singleton of Silvis, Ill.

A nine-time high school All-American from Boothbay Region High School, Forgues will now compete among the NAIA's best at the national meet March 3-5 at the GaREAT (Geneva Area Recreational, Educational and Athletic Trust) Sports Complex in Geneva, Ohio.

Jakobsen and Julius Oteng competed in the racewalk at the All-Comers meet as well, each improving their previous season best times with Jakobsen finishing with a time of 14:55.40 while Oteng crossed the finish line in 18:12.53.

A handful of Saints were also in action at the UNI Dome Open in Cedar Falls over the weekend.

After finishing just over national qualifying time during the MCC Indoor Championships, sophomore Nkemdilim Okwumabua of Rockford, Ill., finished a mere .04 away from the ‘B' qualifying standard time in the 600-meter run, finishing in a second place time of 1:38.94.

One week after winning conference titles in their respective events, sophomores Heather Ketcham of Byron, Ill., and Sarah Wenzel of Clinton earned high marks in their respective events at UNI as well. Clearing 1.50 meters (4'11"), Ketcham tied for sixth place in the high jump while Wenzel finished sixth in the long jump with a leap of 5.24 meters (17'2").

On the men's side, a trio of Saints qualified for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles, as Awah (fourth, 8.34), junior Justin Ludwikowski of Roland, Ill. (10th, 8.70), and sophomore Ademola Are of Hazelcrest, Ill. (12th, 8.85) all earned high marks for the Saints.

Freshman DeMykhal Teague of Silvis, Ill., earned a pair of top-21 finishes as well, taking 18th in the 60-meter dash (7.23) and finishing 21st in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.41.