FORT WORTH, TX:  Texas Wesleyan University’s Ramiro Garcia has qualified to run the marathon at the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.  Garcia is the first national qualifier for the program which is in just its second season.
 
Garcia qualified with a half marathon time of 1:13.25.00 at Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas on March 25.  That is good enough to rank him 13th entering the 26.2 mile run in Marion, IN.  The 61st annual NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will take place May 24-26 in Marion.  Live scoring for the event can be found here.  The Marathon will run at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 26.
 
Head coach Natnael Amare was pleased to have a national qualifier in just the second year of the program.  “I am very proud of Ram,” Amare said.  “He has been working really hard putting in the mileage.  He has set goals for himself.  Right now he knows that the top six make All-American, and I expect him to meet that goal.”
 
Amare knows something about running the NAIA marathon himself having won the event in 2000 with a time of 2:33:36.00.
 
Garcia also competed in the NAIA Cross Country National Championship this fall after helping the Rams to their first Red River Athletic Conference Championship.  At the RRAC Track & Field Championship in April, he won the 5000m with a time of 20:07.1 and the 10000m with a time of 34:16.8 while placing second at the 3000m distance with a time of 9:27.5.