Sophomore Jazmin Estrada broke her fourth Paradise Valley Indoor Track & Field record Friday, as the Pumas closed out their indoor regular season at the Arkansas Qualifier indoor track & field meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Estrada ran 10:04.44 for 3000 meters, breaking Hannah Jarman's seven-year-old record of 10:14.79. Earlier this season, she broke school records in the1000 meters (3:03.16), the one-mile run (5:06.70), and anchored the Distance Medley Relay toa school record time of 12:42.46. Ninety minutes after her record breaking 3000-meter run, Estrada ran 5:07.91 for the mile, second in PV's all-time top-ten record book only to her 5:06.70 set two weeks previous at Iowa State University. "I'm really proud of Jazmin," commented Coach David Barney, "She's having a great season, running fearless, mixing it up with NCAA athletes from powerhouse programs."

 

Estrada wasn't the only Puma running fast on the University of Arkansas' "Fastest Indoor Track in the World." Sophomore Sofia Cardozo ran 7.68 in the 60 meter dash to advance to the finals where she placed fifth with a time of 7.67. Her 7.67 ranks as the 2nd fastest time ever by a Puma, falling just short of her school record (set earlier this season) of 7.59. And, freshman Keira Damron, running with Estrada in the 3000m, ran 10:26.24, setting a personal best time, moving to number five on the PV top-ten all-time list and improving her national qualifying mark.

PV's men also notched fast times at Arkansas, with freshman Dallon Walker running 4:11.26 in the mile, moving him to fourth-place on the PV all-time indoor list and improving on his previous qualifying mark (4:16.28) for the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship meet. Sophomore Nate Pestka (8:32.54), freshman Jaxon Zimmerman (8:37.50), and sophomore Caleb Villegas (8:45.23) all ran personal best times in the men's 3000 meters. Pestka's and Zimmerman's times qualified them for the NJCAA national championship meet.

 

The Pumas travel this week to the 2024 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship meet in Gainesville, FL. The travel squad includes the following student-athletes:

 

Anthony Avila - Weight Throw
Mackenzie Bethancourt - 1000 meters
Rachael Bethancourt - 800 meters
Jackson Bland - 4 x 800 meter Relay
Sofia Cardozo - 60 meters
Keira Damron - Mile run, 3000 meters
Jazmin Estrada - Mile run, 3000 meters
Jason Lundgren - 4 x 800 meter Relay
Nate Pestka - Mile run, 3000 meters
Caleb Villegas - 3000 meters
Peyton Schneider - 4 x 800 meter Relay
Dallon Walker - Mile run
Jaxon Zimmerman - 3000 meters, 4 x 800 meter Relay