TEMPE, Ariz. – Led by solid performances all around in the running events and a surprise showing in the women's javelin by true-freshman Brittany Price, it was another positive day for the Northern Arizona University track and field team, as seven more women and five more men notched Big Sky qualifying marks at the ASU Invitational at Sun Angel Stadium Saturday night.

"I'm definitely pleased with where we're at and how our team is performing right now," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Eric Heins. "NAU hasn't had a javelin thrower that was able to score at a conference meet in a while, so Brittany coming out the way she did, especially after her elbow was bothering her last week, makes us excited for her going forward."

Price's final mark of 144-2.75, which placed her seventh overall in the event, was a personal best by over a foot and places her second among Big Sky Conference competition for the 2012 outdoor season.

Senior Pascal Tang had a monstrous day in the hammer throw, Friday's only event, throwing 205-5.75 to place second among college athletes, right behind 2012 NCAA weight throw champion Jordan Clarke of Arizona State. Tang held a top-10 national ranking going into the meet after a solid performance in Tucson a week ago.

Lumberjack long and triple jumper Thremaine Johnson earned Big Sky qualifiers in both events, marking 23-3.5 and 46-10.25, respectively, to punch his ticket to the conference championships. Johnson is now among four NAU male jumpers that hold qualifying marks in the long jump. In the women's long jump, freshman Jen Fetaz launched herself to the top of the team standings with a mark of 18-3.75, a personal best

Freshman sprint phenom Darriel Banks performed well for the second straight week, placing second among collegians in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Her time in the 200 meters (24.57) was more than two-tenths better than her effort last week, and steps her up to second place in the Big Sky Conference standings.

The Lumberjack women earned a trio of Big Sky qualifiers from the 1,500-meter run, led by Caroline Hogardh (4:35.52) and Haley Lawrence (4:37.61) in fifth and seventh place among college runners, respectively. Junior Rochelle Kanuho, who typically runs the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, also qualified with a time of 4:40.29.

In the men's 1,500 meters, freshman Chris Ganem, running in his inaugural outdoor collegiate race, finished third among college competitors in a time of 3:48.10 and earned a Big Sky qualifier. Caleb Potts earned NAU's only other middle distance qualifier from the meet, running 1:53.54 in the 800 meters to place 10th.

Two more auto-bids for the NAU women came on the heels of career performances from its senior quarter milers Rashida McKinnon and Simone Holder, who crossed the finish line in respective times of 56.21 and 56.82.

On the men's side, freshman high jumper Deante Kemper came in a close second to ASU's Bryan McBride after maxing out at 7-0.75. Kemper, the nation's top freshman in the event, narrowly missed a school record jump of 7-3. Kemper also ran the 110-meter hurdles and finished sixth in 14.87. Teammate Vernon Jamison earned a PR in the event with a time of 14.91, a tenth of a second better than his time last week.

The Lumberjack men's throws squad also had a big day, thanks to Karl Gehrke's discus personal-best of 177-6 and Gus Margiotta's shot put qualifier of 50-10.25.

Other notable performances from the twilight meet included Jenne Childs, earning a second-straight personal best in the 100-meter hurdles at 14.28, Miles Di Sabella, who earned his second qualifying mark by running 21.95 in the 200 meters, Dennis Givens, who notched a third qualifier with a 46.92 effort in the 400, and Lauren Laszczak, whose high jump mark of 5-5.75 is a season best. Dai McFadden also cut a whole second off his 400-meter hurdle time from last week (53.56), and Bahbli Gebreyohanns earned his first Big Sky qualifier by running a 14:44.34 and placing third in the men's 5,000 meters.

The Lumberjacks are back in action with a dual meet against Southern Utah next weekend in Cedar City, Utah on March 31.