Falcon duo impresses at NCAA

Esvelt wins silver, Chang makes debut

Jacqueline Brizuela, Staff Writer

May 28, 2024

Annika Esvelt (front) leads during the 1500 at the Dorris Heritage track meet at Renton Memorial Stadium on April 5, 2024, in Renton, Wash.

The 2024 Outdoor National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Championships were held at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, from Thursday, May 23, through Saturday, May 25. Seattle Pacific University sent two athletes to compete: senior distance runner Annika Esvelt and sophomore heptathlon runner Hannah Chang.

Esvelt kicked off the championships for SPU on Thursday, May 23, by taking second in the 10000-meter run with a time of 34:18.07. This was Esvelt’s second time on the NCAA stage, having previously competed in the 10000-meter (a time of 33:51.65) and 5000-meter (a time of 16:40.70) events in the 2022 Outdoor NCAAs.

On Saturday, March 25, during the women’s 5000-meter run, Esvelt faced adversity when she fell in the first 500 meters of the race. Despite this setback, she secured a seventh-place finish with a time of 16:54.06.

Chang made her NCAA debut in the 100-meter hurdles on Friday, March 24. She placed sixteenth in the preliminary heats and consequently did not make the final heat, with a time of 14.25 seconds.

The performances of Annika Esvelt and Hannah Chang at the 2024 Outdoor NCAAs reflect the dedication and competitive spirit of SPU’s athletes.

Looking to the future, on Friday, May 31, at 6 a.m., SPU’s women’s rowing team will compete in the 2024 NCAA Championships in boats Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+. The Falcons will row on Lake Harsha in East Fork State Park in Bethel, Ohio.

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About the Contributors

Jacqueline Brizuela, Copy Editor

Rio Giancarlo, Editor-in-Chief

Rio is a senior visual communication major with a minor in journalism. After serving two years as the photo editor Rio was hired as editor-in-chief for his final year with The Falcon. An accomplished photojournalist Rio was accepted into the Eddie Adams XXXVII and does freelance photography for Getty Images, the AP, and other local outlets. In his free time you can find him skiing, or wishing he was skiing.