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One would think there's not much left on Ashland University senior Myles Pringle's collegiate track and field bucket list, seeing how his bucket is one of the fullest in the history of the sport at this level:
- Best NCAA Division II indoor men's 400-meter dash time, regardless of track size, at 45.67 seconds.
- One of the best Division II outdoor men's 400 dash times ever, regardless of track size, at 45.35 seconds.
- Six individual/relay Division II national titles.
- One of the key members of Ashland's first Division II men's team national championship.
- 17 Division II All-American citations.
- 16 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.
So what's left to accomplish at the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, Thursday-Saturday (May 23-25) in Kingsville, Texas?
"This year, the USATF sent out the times to hit for the Olympic Trials. For the 400, it's 44.9. So, my goal right now is 44.9, and I've ran a 45.35," Pringle said. "That little bit of time is a really big difference of keeping form, staying technical and just staying fast off the ground. I'm hoping to do that this week.
"I've always wanted to win the 200. I want to go out and just have fun, but if I go out and have fun, then I have a better chance of winning the 2. I'm the underdog going in, so I don't have the pressure. If I can win the 200, that's a big-time goal right there."
As has been case in the past, Pringle will have to split his time on Saturday night between the high jump finals, set for 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and the 400 dash finals, slated for 7:25 p.m. Eastern.
"Whenever it comes to the high jump, there's always a conflict with either the 2, the 4, or the 4x4," he said. "With that, my coaches say just focus on what you're doing at that time. We always tend to figure something out."
Pringle and the Eagle men came back from Pittsburg, Kan., with a gold trophy for winning the Division II national title in March. That won't factor in to what could happen this weekend, but the team is aware it could be the first men's program in D-II to win both indoor and outdoor national championships in the same year since Saint Augustine's in 2014.
"We would love to get another championship," Pringle said. "Rankings aren't anything, and I think we're going in sixth. We could come out on top again, or we could finish second, third, you never know. It just depends on how the athletes just go out and perform.
"When we have people who weren't supposed to make it, they give us more points than what we were supposed to get, so that helps us out."
While Pringle has been reminded throughout the recent weeks that this will be his collegiate swan song, he may not have much time to think about it in Texas, given he will be performing in the high jump, 200-meter dash, 400 dash and 4x400 relay.
"It's going to be in the back of my head, but at the end of the day, it's just like, 'This is it, this is the last time, so just go out and make your mark.'"
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