WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Two field competitors on the Eastern Connecticut State University women's track & field team came about as humanly possible to qualifying for this coming week's NCAA Division III  Track & Field Outdoor Championships... without actually qualifying.
 
Sophomore Givanni Perry (Hartford) shared the 22^nd and final spot in two events --  the long jump and high jump – but lost on a tie-breaker in both, while junior Laci Davis (Prospect) landed a half-inch (.01 meters) shy of the 22-person cutoff in the triple jump.
 
In case of ties for a final NCAA spot, the individual's second-best mark during the season in their respective events are used to determine the qualifier.
 
Perry qualified a year ago for the NCAA Championships in the long jump on the strength of her program-record mark of 20-0 ½ (6.11m) at the Warriors' Bonnie Edmondson Classic and submitted a season-best mark of 18-11 ¾ (5.78m) this year at Southern Connecticut State University on April 10. Her second-best jump of 18-4 ½ (5.60m) this year came in earning All-New England honors with a fifth-place finish at the New England Division III Championships at Springfield College May 1.
 
Perry did not reach five feet outdoors in the high jump as a freshman last year but attained that height three times during this year's outdoor season, tying the program record of 5-5 ¾ (1.67m) with a winning jump at the outdoor opener March 21 at Virginia Wesleyan University. Her second-best height of 5-1 ¾ (1.57m) came in a second-place finish at the LEC Championships April 25.
 
At this past Thursday's MIT Final Qualifier Davis broke her own record by winning the triple jump for the fourth time this year with a mark of 38-9 (11.81m). Officially, she is ranked 25^th nationally behind Anna Thaler of UW-Eau Claire, Molly White of University of Scranton and Brooklyn Kerry of Trine University, who share 22^nd place at 38-9 ½ (11.82m). Thaler garnered the 22^nd and final spot at the NCAAs by posting her mark Thursday at the UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier. In addition to holding the triple jump record, Davis has the third-best 400 and fourth-best long jump marks in program history and has competed on six of the top 20-fastest 4x400 relays.
 
Eastern's best chance at an NCAA berth among the men was freshman Hagen Drake (Stonington), whose New England Division III-winning time and program record of 53.50 in the 400 hurdles left him.35 seconds shy of the Top 22. He currently ranks in a tie for 43^rd overall.