Special to the OBSERVER

It’s official: Three Fredonia Blue Devils have qualified for the NCAA Division III Track & Field championship meet.

Sarah Couperus and Brittany Feldman (Jamestown/Southwestern) from the women’s team and Justyn Haines from the men’s team are bound for LaCrosse, Wis., the site of the D-III championship meet, May 24-26.

Couperus is highest seeded among the trio, tied for No. 11 in the women’s high jump. Her top mark of 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches) came last Friday, May 11, at Allegheny College’s Gator Invitational.

Feldman is tied for 14th in the women’s 400-meter dash with a season-best time of 56.30 seconds. It came April 21 at Marietta College’s Don Frail Invitational.

Haines is tied for 19th in the men’s pole vault. He cleared 4.88 meters (16 feet) on May 4 at the SUNYAC championship meet.

Couperus and Haines are headed to nationals for the first time while Feldman is making her fifth trip. She has earned NCAA D-III All-America honors twice, each time in the 400 meters.

Falling short of qualifying, yet still among the Top 50 in marks in the nation, was senior Damone Brown, who is 38th in the men’s shot put.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association compiles weekly rankings in all eight regions of NCAA Division III. The latest Atlantic Region lists released Friday include Haines (No. 2 in the men’s pole vault), Brown (No. 4 in the men’s shot put), Feldman (No. 3 in the women’s 400), and Couperus (No. 1 in the women’s high jump).