Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore Steve Hammond (Warsaw, Ohio) and freshman Christina Matheny (Akron, Ohio) will compete in the Wolfpack Last Chance Qualifier at North Carolina State University’s Derr Track Sunday. Matheny will participate in the women’s high jump (5 p.m.), while Hammond will run the men’s 3000 meter Steeplechase (7:45 p.m.).
 
Last Sunday, Matheny cleared 1.68 meters in the women’s high jump at the Duke Twilight meet. She earned Wingate’s first-ever NCAA Division II provisional mark with the leap. “Our goals for Christina this week are to hit 1.73 meters or 1.74 meters (5’8-5’8.5), as we believe these marks will get her into the NCAA championship meet,” Wingate head track and field coach Joe Soehnlen says.
 
“If Christina hits 1.73 meters (or better), she will also qualify for the USA Junior Outdoor Championships,” Soehnlen says. “I really feel she has the ability to hit this mark Sunday, especially after the really good week of practice she had last week and another solid one this week.”
 
Hammond ran a 9:20.10 in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, missing an NCAA Division II provisional time by 0.1 of a second. “Steve had a really rough race last weekend at the Duke Twilight,” Soehnlen says. “His hurdling of the barriers was off, he hit one barrier and he had a couple of other little mishaps in the race. (I believe) we were still able to take some positives out of the race.”
 
Hammond’s positives include topping his personal record by seven seconds. “Steve was in a position to run 9:10 or so with less than a mile to go,” Soehnlen says. “His goal (for Sunday) is to not only post a provisional time, but to try and get a time that will put him in the national championships. We’ve really put a focus on his hurdling this week to try and iron out the kinks and get him ready to go after it.”
 
Matheny helped Wingate win the Southeast Regional meet at Lenoir-Rhyne April 21. She cleared 1.60 meters in the regional high jump competition, placing second. Matheny was eighth in the javelin throw (27.75 meters) at the same event. Hammond won the men’s 3000 meter Steeplechase (9:29.09) at the Southeast Regional. He finished third in the 5000 meters (15:44.34) as the Bulldogs earned second on the regional team leader board.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,500 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 34 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.
 
Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.
 
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past six years.
 
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 42 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 51 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.