Published: March 01, 2008 12:36 am      

Ashford’s Barnes, Tenboer heading to indoor nationals

CLINTON — Franklin Barnes described it as, “an awesome feeling.”

Kelly Tenboer called it, “a huge accomplishment.”

What they are describing is their inclusion in the field of qualifiers for the NAIA Indoor Championship Meet in Johnson City, Tenn., March 6-8.

Barnes and Tenboer are the newly revived Ashford University track and field team’s first qualifiers for the national championship meet under first-year head coach Dave Thompson.

Barnes, a junior, said he found out about his qualifying in the 60-meter hurdles while he was in class.

“I had a lot of trouble concentrating after that,” he said. “It’s true what they say though, hard work does pay off. My freshman year (Ashford’s last season sponsoring track) I was one-tenth of a second away from qualifying, so it was a major goal to make it this time around. I really pushed myself extremely hard.”

Tenboer, a freshman, qualified in the high jump with a leap of 1.63 meters. She will enter the meet ranked 11th in the country.

“Originally my goal was to make nationals in the pentathlon, but I guess that will wait until next year,” she said. “To make it in the high jump as a freshman is a huge accomplishment for me.”

“I am happy Kelly and Franklin will have the opportunity to represent Ashford University at the national meet,” Thompson said. “They have both worked very hard and are well-deserving of this opportunity.”

The pair will travel with Thompson and seven other Midwest Collegiate Conference athletes to Tennessee in hopes of reaching All-American or national champion status.