June 2, 2008

Senior Michael Powers placed fifth in the steeplechase at last week's NCAA West Regional in Northridge to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Powers finished with a time of 8:48.18, the second-fastest steeplechase mark in school history. He entered the event seeded with a time of 9:01.43, which made him the eighteenth and final athlete to qualify for the fast heat.

Powers, an Irvine, Calif. native, became the first Gaucho to qualify for the men's steeplechase championship since Trent Bryson in 1998.

The Gauchos will send three student-athletes to the NCAA Championships June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa. Aside from Powers, junior Danielle Domenichelli and senior Chris Ashley both qualified in the 5000m. Ashley is the first male Gaucho to ever qualify for the distance event.