Cash and Hansford Compete at the NCAA Indoor National Championships

West Virginia Wesleyan had two athletes compete in the National Indoor Track Championships. Sam Cash and Micheal Hansford qualified for the Division II National Championship in Indiana this past season. Sam qualified in the Pentathlon and Triple Jump, while Micheal qualified in the Triple Jump.

Sam Cash placed 14th in the Pentathlon and jumped 11.43 meters in the Triple Jump. "I broke the triple jump, high jump, and pentathlon school records, along with having personal records in multiple other events," said Sam when asked about her performance this season.

With her accomplishments, she earned the opportunity to compete at the national level. "Being able to participate at nationals gave me a strong drive to set goals, practicing harder, and believing in myself." That mindset has carried into her outdoor season. "In outdoor, I want to continue to break records, have personal bests in the events I compete in, and believe in myself enough to make it back to nationals."

Micheal Hansford placed 16th with a jump of 14.16 meters. "I am very pleased with my performance this season. Winning the championship, breaking my school records, and making it to nationals are a few things that I'm extremely proud of," Micheal said, reflecting on his achievements.

He also shared his thoughts on competing at the national level, "Making it to nationals opened my eyes a lot. Not always able to compete with others in my event, I am very pleased with being able to place in the top 16 in the United States!" Hansford said. Looking ahead to outdoor season Hansford talked about, "Outdoor, I plan on going out with my team ready to accomplish great things. Some things I would like to accomplish would be a team championship on both sides, women and men, and also a top-8 performance in outdoor nationals because I know I can make it again."

Coach Kelsey has now had three athletes compete at a national championship this school year and is excited for the outdoor season ahead. "I am proud of the growth we have had as a program this year. The teams have worked extremely hard to get to this level and show that Wesleyan deserves to be on the map. I cannot wait to see even more growth this outdoor season." Coach Kelsey is also setting high goals for both individual athletes and the team as a whole: "Mike and Sam both want to return to the national championship and improve where they finished indoors. Indoor was a chance for them to get experience at that level of competition, so now they know what to aim for. They both have a lot left in the tank, and I am excited to see them continue to grow." Expectations are growing across the program, "We have something to prove this season. The team has put so much hard work in and is ready to show it. We have a young team that has a ton of talent—so we are expecting to see a lot of school records and NCAA provisional performances." Coach Kelsey said

Sam and Micheal have both been performing like national contenders so far in the outdoor season. Goals are high, and the Bobcats are rising to the challenge. The team is in great hands—and striving for greatness.