Watkins and Bowen Earn NCAA Championship Berth

Watkins and Bowen Earn NCAA Championship BerthPictured, is Charlsie Bowen.

Hunter Watkins and Charlsie Bowen will compete for a national title after the NCAA released the final field for the 2018 Division II NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Tuesday.

The meet will be hosted by Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. on May 24-26 at the Irwin Belk Complex. The championships will be streamed live on www.NCAA.com each day.

It marks the first NCAA championship bid for multiple Mansfield athletes since track & field sent three Mountaineers to the National Indoor Championships in 2014. Watkins and Bowen will be among 752 other athletes competing in 41 events.

Watkins is making his second consecutive national championship trip after competing as a freshman last year in the men’s javelin.

The sophomore is seeded 13th with a collegiate-best distance of 64.61m in a field of 18 athletes. The PSAC Javelin Champion hit provisional marks repeatedly this season and looks to repeat as an All-American. His record-holding throw sets him second on the MU record books in place of his 64.14m meter throw from last year’s NCAA Championships.

Men’s javelin throw finals will take place on Saturday, May 26 at 10:30 a.m.

After continuous dedication and hard work, Bowen makes her championship debut in the women’s pole vault. The senior is currently tied for 19th with her record-shattering height of 3.85m at Bucknell earlier this season. Bowen has now matched or beaten her previous outdoor school record three times this year. She was the only Division II athlete to compete at the ECAC Championships this past weekend after putting up the third-best height at the PSAC Championships.

The women’s pole vault is set to begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 24.

Charlsie Bowen is from Owego, N.Y., and attended Tioga Central School where she was a four-year member of track and field. She is majoring in Elementary and Special Education.

Charlsie is the daughter of Jana and George Bowen. 

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