GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman senior Cameron Ponder has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., March 11-12. 

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Ponder has qualified in the 3,000m for the second-consecutive year.  He ranks 14th nationally with a time of 7:45.56 in the event, a career best which he posted Feb. 19 at the JDL DMR Invitational.  He earned first-team All-American accolades in the event last season after recording a time of 7:54.56 to take eighth place at the national championships, becoming the fifth All-American in the history of the Furman men's indoor track and field program.  

Ponder, who has recorded four sub-4:00 mile marks during his career, won the mile with a time of 3:59.75 at the SoCon Championships last weekend.  He also competed as a member of the Paladins' DMR team, which took silver at the event.

"It speaks volumes to Cameron's development and competitiveness that having finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in 2021, his time would not have even qualified him this year," said Furman head coach Robert Gary.  "As such, Cam has raised his already high level of excellence even higher.  His qualifier came with just two teammates getting on a track and rabbiting for 2200m and him finishing it off solo, followed by a completely solo sub-4 mile last weekend.   I am very excited to see him compete against the very best in ten days."

Sixteen athletes will compete in each event at the championships.  The men's 3,000m is slated for 6 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, March 12.