DUBUQUE, Iowa - Sophomore A.J. Smith of Port Byron, Ill., provisionally qualified for the NAIA National Outdoor Championships in the high jump, clearing a season-best 2.02 meters (6'7") to place third overall at the Loras Open over the weekend.

Smith competed at the NAIA Indoor Championships last March and joins freshman Christian ‘Ed' Awah of Willow Springs, Ill., as members of the Ashford track and field team to provisionally qualify for the national meet.

After running the fastest preliminary time of 11.22, sophomore Austin Gilbert of Peoria, Ill., qualified for the finals in and won the 100-meter dash after crossing the line in a swift time of 11.64.

It was the fifth time this outdoor season that Gilbert has earned an individual victory in any event.

Senior Franklin Barnes of Chicago, who returned to the track for the meet, joined Awah in each hurdle event. The pair teamed up first in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing with the top (15.58) and fifth (16.21) best preliminary times, respectively, and qualified for the finals.

Senior Caleb Snyder of Winnebago, Ill., competed in the 110s for the first time this season as well and finished in 20th place with time of 20.55.

In the finals, it was Awah who would cross the line a second in front of everyone else in the field, finishing with a time of 14.89, a mere .06 away from his season's best time.

Improving from his preliminary time, Barnes moved up to a third-place finish with a time of 15.98.

The dynamic hurdle duo blazed the track one more in the 400-meter hurdles, as they finished 1-2 in the event.

Awah earned his second victory of the day with a time of 55.59, but the senior mentor Barnes was snipping at the freshman's legs all race, crossing the line in 56.39.

Sophomore Ademola Are of Hazel Crest, Ill., was right behind Awah and Barnes in the 400s, finishing 10th with a time of 1:00.58.

Junior Andrew Drinkall of Hooppole, Ill., gathered a second-place finish in the 400-meter dash, finishing in a time of 50.35. Later on in the meet, Drinkall took on a sprinter's role for the 200-meter dash, completing the half-lap race in 23.94 and earned 14th.

Competing in the 800-meter run, freshman Patrick McClain of Gary, Ind., completed the two lap race in 2:10.31, placing him 25th overall.

Freshman Mizael Carrera of Franklin Park, Ill., was the top distance runner for the Saints on the day and enjoyed a seventh-place finish in the 1,500 meter run. Carrera finished with a time of 4:10.92 in the near-mile event.

Freshman teammate Ray Rivera of Franklin Park, Ill., competed in the 1,500-meter run as well, finishing 31st overall with a time of 4:29.27.

With a time of 11:37.03, freshman Rafael Crisosto of Franklin Park, Ill., earned a 14th-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

In the final running event of the day, the 4x400-meter relay team finished in second place, crossing the line just after Oakton College with a time of 3:24.48.

In the field events, sophomore Aaron Yerk of Belvidere, Ill., cleared 4.10 meters (13'5") in the pole vault to finish tied for sixth place.

Snyder competed in the pole vault as well, finishing in 16th place after clearing the bar at 3.05 meters (10').

Freshman Jaryd Prince of Clinton paced the throwers for the Saints at the meet, earning sixth place finish after a best throw of 13.66 meters (44'9") in the shot put.

Prince also took home 27th place honors in the hammer throw after a toss of 31.50 meters (103'4").

With a toss of 8.25 meters (27'1"), Snyder finished in 32nd for the shot put.

Freshman Joe Snyder of Winnebago, Ill., placed eighth in the discus with launch of 39.49 meters (129'7"). Snyder also earned 21st in the hammer throw, tossing the weight 35.78 meters (117'5").

After finishing with a best toss of 36.28 meters (119'), senior Brian Cummings of Clinton took 21st place in the javelin throw and finished 23rd in the hammer throw after a hurl of 34.45 meters (113').

Up next for the Saints is the Midwest Collegiate Conference Multi-Event Championships on April 30 and May 1, while members of the team who don't travel to that meet head back to Dubuque for the University of Dubuque Open.