Defending national champions College of DuPage closed its regular season Friday at the Elmhurst Invitational with standouts efforts on both teams.
 
For the women, Kiara Carter ran national qualifying times in the open 100 and 200 m, and then ran a leg on the qualifying 4 x 100 relay team.
 
She cut nearly a half second off her previous best in the 100 with a fourth-place 12.63 effort.
 
She added third place in the 200 at 26.18.
 
Alexandra Ochab cut four seconds off her season-best in the 400, and Lillian Buzani excelled again in the 1500 (5:01.31) and in the 800 (2:27.71).
 
During Thursday's javelin, Akira Lebron won the event with a national-best throw of 31.93 m (104 feet, 9 inches). One day later, she reached 16-5 ¼ in the long jump for another qualifying effort.
 
Alyssa Gaski gained in the 800 with a national-qualifying time of 2:37.66.
 
Morgan Clifford, who has qualified in the 400 hurdles, ran a 64-split in the 4 x 400 relay.
 
"Kiara had a quite a day with national qualifying times in both sprints and in the relay,'' head coach Robert Cervenka said. "Alyssa (Gaski) really dropped her time in the 800 and is well deserving of competing at nationals. And Akira (Lebron) has now qualified in five events, and really shined in the javelin on Thursday.''
 
For the men, Anthony Eddy earned a qualifying time with a personal-best 4:15.81 in the 1500 and Freddy Munoz punched a ticket to Troy, N.Y. with his 16:41.33 in the 5000. Axel Huerta also qualified in the 5000 (16:52.99).
 
"Anthony ran an outstanding race in the 1500, and Freddy and Axel ran very well, and kept things strategic,'' Cervenka said.
 
The Chaps are off now until the NJCAA D3 championship, to be held May 12-14 in Troy, N.Y.
 
Elmhurst Invite
Competed at Wheaton College
April 28-29
Women
100: 4. Kiara Carter 12.63 *
200: 3. Kiara Carter 26.18 *
400: 5. Alexandra Ochab 62.99 *, Laura De La Torre 72.47
800: 6. Lillian Buzani 2:27.71 *, Belle Adduci 2:35.00 *, Alyssa Gaski 2:37.66 *, Emilia Kadiyala 2:48.78
1500: 7. Lillian Buzani 5:01.31 *
100 hurdles: Morgan Clifford 18.07 *
4 x 400 relay: 5. Belle Adduci, Lillian Buzani, Morgan Clifford, Kiara Carter 4:21.41 *
Pole vault: 1. Mya Mangan 3.05 m (10-0) *
Long jump: 4. Akira Lebron 5.01 m (16-5 ¼) *
Discus: Darnyce Springfield 24.11
Javelin: 1. Akira Lebron 31.93 m (104-9) *
Men
100: Jamal Freeman 12.55, Alejandro Resendez 12.64
200: Max Szul 23.63, Judah Herring 23.83, Harry Llobera 25.47, Alejandro Resendez 25.88, Jamal Freeman 26.70
400: Judah Herring 54.09, Derek Erdman 55.25, Harry Llobera 56.91
800: Spensir Stec 2:00.55 *, Sebastian Esparza 2:04.22 *, Axel Huerta 2:09.20
1500: Anthony Eddy 4:15.81 *, Axel Huerta 4:20.58, Caleb DeBoer 4:23.94
5000: Freddy Munoz 16:41.33 *, Hector Herrera 16:52.99 *
110 hurdles: Max Szul 15.96 *
4 x 400 relay: 6. Derek Erdman, Anthony Eddy, Sebastian Esparza, Spensir Stec, 3:35.54
Pole vault: Ryan Rinella 3.40 m (11-1 ¾)
Long jump: 2. Josh Rivers 6.67 m * (21-10 ¾)
Shot put: Ethan Trimm 11.86 m (38-11), Michael Renc 11.66 (38-3 ¼)
Discus: Michael Renc 31.88 m (104-7)
Javelin: 1. John Sassan 47.98 m  * (157-5),  Alejandro Resendez 32.44 (106-5)
* - Met national qualifying standard

NJCAA Division 3 Qualfiers
Women
100 — Kiara Carter, Alexandra Ochab
200 —  Kiara Carter, Paulina Stachura
400 —  Carter,  Stachura,  Alexandra Ochab
800 — Lillian Buzani, Belle Adduci, Alyssa Gaski, Shaylinn Aver
1,500 —  Lillian Buzani,  Belle Adduci,  Shaylinn Aver
5000 —  Lillian Buzani
100 hurdles —  Morgan Clifford
400 hurdles —  Alexandra Ochab,  Morgan Clifford
4 x 100 relay — Alexandra Ochab, Paulina Stachura, Mya Mangan, Kiara Carter
4 x 400 relay —  Alexandra Ochab,  Belle Adduci,  Paulina Stachura,  Morgan Clifford
High jump —  Paulina Stachura, Akira Lebron
Long jump —  Alexandra Ochab,  Paulina Stachura, Akira Lebron
Triple jump —  Akira Lebron
Pole vault —  Mya Mangan, Akira Lebron
Javelin — Akira Lebron
Shot put — Sierra Batee
Men
100 — Diego Villalobos, Josh Rivers
200 — Josh Rivers
800 – Anthony Eddy, Spensir Stec, Sebastian Esparza
1500 — Anthony Eddy
110 hurdles — Max Szul
3,000 steeplechase — Axel Huerta
5,000 — Axel Huerta, Caleb DeBoer, Freddy Munoz, Hector Herrera
10,000 — Caleb DeBoer
4 x 100 relay — John Sassan, Max Szul, Josh Rivers, Villalobos
4 x 400 relay — Derek Erdman, Anthony Eddy, Sebastian Esparza, Spensir Stec
Long jump — Josh Rivers, Diego Villalobos, John Sassan
Triple jump — Diego Villalobos
High jump — Josh Rivers
Javelin — John Sassan
Pole vault — Ryan Rinella

(as of April 29, 2022)