PUEBLO, Colo. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team turned in a trio of solid performances Friday during the second day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
 
Junior Marian Ledesma clocked the third-fastest time in the preliminary heats of the 800m to qualify for Saturday's final, while sophomores Ila Davis (steeplechase) and Drew Weber (800m) each earned Second Team All-America honors.
 
Ledesma ran 2:10.57 while placing second in the third (and fastest) heat on Friday to automatically qualify by placing in the top two of the heat. Her time Friday trails just two runners heading into the final, 2:09.35 by Helen Braybrook of CSU-Pueblo and 2:10.04 by Josii Johnson of Westminster. Saturday's 800m is scheduled to begin at 5:55 pm PT/6:55 pm MT. A transfer from Azusa Pacific, Ledesma was a Second Team All-American in the event last season placing 11th in the 800m.
 
Davis placed 11th in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:58.97, moving up one spot after qualifying 12th during Thursday's preliminary heats. The sophomore from Spokane capped a great season that included winning the 3,000m at the GNAC Indoor Championships and repeating as both the steeplechase and 5000m outdoor GNAC Champion.
 
Weber just missed a spot in the finals of the 800m placing 12th out of 18 runners in the preliminary heats. His time of 1:51.25 was fifth in the second heat, missing a qualifying spot by just over a quarter of a second. His 12th-place finish earned him Second Team All-America honors.
 
Fans can stream the final day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Track & Field Outdoor Championships live online at NCAA.com.
  WWU is celebrating 100 years of the outdoor track & field program, with the varsity history of the program going all the way back to the first season in 1923. Track historian Paul Scovel researched and compiled a comprehensive history of the program in a document found online at WWUVikings.com/TF.

TF🎽 | Ila Davis finishes 11th in the 3,000m steeplechase finals at D2 Outdoor Nationals in 10:58.97, securing Second Team All-America honors. Congrats Gabby! #GoViks pic.twitter.com/KPsEMNpETw
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) May 27, 2023



TF🎽 | Drew Weber just misses the cut to advance to the finals in the men's 800m finishing 5th in the second heat at D2 Nationals with a time of 1:51.25, and earns Second Team All-America honors by placing 12th overall in the event. Congrats Drew! pic.twitter.com/Q6bM66teRs
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) May 27, 2023



TF🎽 | Marian Ledesma is an automatic qualifier for the women's 800m final placing 2nd in the third heat at the D2 Outdoor Nationals in Pueblo, Colorado. #GoViks pic.twitter.com/lf5ZX1HUNL
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) May 27, 2023



#GNACTF | Marie-Éloïse Leclair of @sfu_athletics advances in women's 200, Marian Ledesma of @WWUAthletics advances in women's 800 to lead GNAC on day two of the #D2OTF Championships.https://t.co/tvJEYSJO6n pic.twitter.com/vYPwl4YpOO
— GNAC Sports (@GNACsports) May 27, 2023