AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Hawai'i track and field squad got competition under way on Thursday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in the NCAA West Preliminary Round, with two athletes performing in the javelin.
 
The Rainbow Wahine pair, both underclassmen, were freshman Alexis Brenzil and sophomore Karen Bulger. A Welland, Ontario native, Brenzil was making her NCAA postseason debut, while this was a second appearance for Bulger, coming out of Olympia, Wash.
 
Brenzil launched a 150-10 (45.97m) throw on her first attempt on Thursday, placing her 22nd in the West in her first NCAA go-around. She entered the meet ranked 27th in the standings. Bulger finished 46th with a third-round throw of 128-0 (39.03m). The top 12 in the overall region standings advance to the national meet in Oregon.
 
"I am very pleased with Alexis's performance," head coach Carmyn James said. "she was calm, cool and confident throughout the whole competition. Her first throw was her best throw and, although it wasn't one of the top 12 throws on the day, she was the fourth-best freshman in the competition and placed five spots higher than she was coming in."
 
"Karen, on the other hand, had a bad day," James continued. "Although each throw was as an improvement over the previous one, the third throw was not far enough to place amongst the top 45."
 
The NCAA Preliminary Round continues on Friday with another freshman in action, as Lily Lowe takes on her first regional postseason in the high jump at Mike A. Myers Stadium.