INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - George Garcia and Bryce Spencer have earned their way into the NCAA Division-II Indoor National Championships, announced on Tuesday, Feb. 28. 

A total of 540 participants, 270 men and 270 women, will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the championships by reaching a provisional standard established for each event.

Garcia earns the nod for the 400-meter run, and will compete in the event at 3:25 central time on Friday, Mar. 10. The freshman was phenomenal this season, breaking and resetting the record in the event three times this season, including a first-place finish in his first-ever college race at the Corky Classic. At the Lone Star Conference Championships, Garcia made history in the men's 400-meter run, winning the race with a time of 47.29 seconds. That time beat his school record mark in the event by 0.30 seconds. Garcia beat Brien Pittman of West Texas A&M by 0.23 seconds. Garcia's time was the thirteenth fastest time in Division-II when adjusted for altitude (47.40 seconds). His time would've been the fourth-fastest in the country if altitude was not taken into account. 

Garcia also just missed out on qualifying for the national championships in the men's 4x400 meter relay. The quartet of Garcia, Ryan Gordon, Chris Rader and Keitron Boyd won the event championship with a time of 3:12.90. The quartet upset the team from West Texas A&M by 0.20 seconds. The mark also breaks the school record in the event set in 1972 at the Astrodome by 0.02 seconds. When adjusted for elevation, the group finished the year with the 13th fastest time in the country (3:13.34). 



Spencer makes his first trip of his career to the NCAA Indoor National Championships as the 12th seed in the weight throw, which he will compete in on Friday, Mar. 10 at 3:30 PM central time. Spencer finished no lower than seventh in the event this season, resetting his own record in the event four times. At the Matador Qualifier, Spencer broke his own record in the weight throw by 0.71 meters with a mark of 19.67 meters on his third throw of the day. His first throw of 19.00 meters would've also broken his old record of 18.96 meters set earlier this season at the UNM Team Open. Spencer recorded a second place finish behind Max McKhann of Stanford. The Sundown native beat out throwers from Texas Tech, Abilene Christian, and South Plains College among others.

Spencer closed his 2022 Indoor season at the LSC Indoor Championships, winning the Lone Star Conference Championship in the weight throw by 0.19 meters, recording a toss of 19.21 meters on his first throw. His second throw of 19.08 meters would've also won the championship by 0.06 meters. It is Spencer's first indoor conference championship after finishing third in the event last season.



It is the first time ever that the Chaps will have two representatives compete at the NCAA Division-II Indoor Championships in the same season. Boyd competed at the 2021 Indoor Championships in the 200-meter run, finishing ninth. Jaylen Tryon is the lone other Chap to be selected to the D-II Indoor Championships, being selected to the canceled 2020 event, and finishing 13th in the 800-meter run at the 2019 National Championships. 

The championships will be held March 10-11 in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Norfolk State University and Visit Virginia Beach will serve as co-hosts of the championships.

Action begins at 3:25 PM on Friday, Mar. 10 with the 400-meter run, while the weight throw begins on Saturday, Mar. 11 at 3:30 PM. If Garcia makes the finals of the 400-meter run, he will compete again on Saturday, Mar. 11 at 4:00 PM. Live result links are available at lcuchaps.com, while the event will be streamed live on ncaa.com.