Gerleve captures LSC men's javelin title

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University sophomore Zach Gerleve remained unbeaten in javelin competition this season and gained the NCAA provisional qualifying distance by throwing 194 feet, 3 inches on Saturday in the Lone Star Conference track and field meet, hosted by Angelo State University.

Gerleve, who has won in all five of his meets this season, needed to go at least 193 feet to provisionally qualify for NCAA Division II national competition in late May in Abilene, Texas. He threw 194-3, beating rival Adam Phillips of Tarleton State by about five feet, and will now have to wait to see if he makes it into nationals.

ENMU finished sixth in both divisions of the six-school meet. In men’s competition, Abilene Christian took the team title with 217 points to 158 for ASU, 93 for Texas A&M-Kingsville, 83 for Texas A&M-Commerce, 75 for Tarleton State and 24 for ENMU.

ASU captured women’s team honors with 243 points, followed by ACU 227, Kingsville 98, Tarleton 63, Commerce 49 and ENMU 2. Women’s team points for the Zias came on sixth-place finishes in the 400 relay (51.66) and the 1,600 relay (4:23.27).

Freshman Aaron Carper gave the men two more points in javelin, finishing fifth at 167-4, while Jason Garcia was fourth in the 10,000 (33:59.25) and Orlando Sanchez placed fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:15.91).

Other points for the Hounds were collected by Warren Nuckols, sixth in the hammer at 143-0; the 400 relay team, fifth in 43.90, and the 1,600 relay team, sixth in 3:35.81.