Clayton State’s Azcue hits automatic time for NCAA DII Championships in 800m

 Birmingham, AL – The Clayton State men's track and field runner Ayrton Azcue automatically qualified for the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships Monday, posting the division's fastest 800m time of this season.  His effort was one of two team indoor records set on Monday.

Azcue finished second in the event to unattached runner Cory Leslie during the Emory Crossplex Invitational in Birmingham, AL.  Azcue's time of 1:50.36 smashed his own indoor team record set last season by over four seconds.  The time guarantees the senior runner from Zizur Mayor, Spain a spot in the NCAA meet which will run March 8-9 on the same track in Birmingham.

"Ayrton ran a phenomenal race to earn his first trip to the NCAA championships," said Laker head coach Mike Mead.  "We've never had a guy hit an NCAA auto mark, so this is something special.  He's trained his butt off and his hard work is paying off.  I'm excited for him and his teammates.  I look forward to not only the rest of his indoor season, but also the pending outdoor season, too."

Besides Azcue's team record, Clayton State junior Bryce Rauhof, a newcomer to the program this season, also set a Laker mark breaking the school record in the weight throw with a toss of 46-feet 11.5 inches to win the event by more than six feet.

In other top finishes for the Lakers, junior Charles Anderson finished fourth in the 800m run with a time of 1:57.79. Clayton State's 4x400m relay team of sophomore Dinero Nicholas, senior Shelby Russell, Anderson and junior Wilson Louima placed fourth with a time of 3:23.30.

The Lakers will return to action February 8-9 in the Tiger Invite in Clemson, S.C.