WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Marietta College junior standout #Ashley Bault (Atwater/Waterloo)# hit a NCAA Division III Championship automatic qualifying mark with her school record performance in the heptathlon at the Wake Forest University Deacon Combined Events Wednesday (May 11) afternoon. [Results]

Bault, a 2011 All-American in the indoor pentathlon and long jump, becomes the first Pioneer to automatically qualify for the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship, which will take place May 26-28 at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

Three of Bault's teammates—senior #Stephanie Hammond (Toledo/Central Catholic)# (hammer throw), senior #Nikki Stone (Madison/Madison)# (javelin throw) and sophomore #Gaston Hayes (Cleveland/Rhodes)# (discus throw)—as well as the men's 4x100m relay have provisionally qualified for the championship.

Bault tied a school record in one event and set new personal records in five of the other six events en route to breaking her own school record with 4,583 points. She placed fifth overall, finishing behind three North Carolina Tar Heels and one Wake Forest Demon Deacon.

Bault began the competition Tuesday (May 10) by posting a personal record time of 16.04 seconds in the 100m hurdles. She then tied her own school record by clearing 1.63m in the high jump. Bault followed with a personal record mark of 9.11m in the shot put before closing out day one with a personal record performance of 26.64 seconds in the 200m dash. She opened Wednesday's action by leaping 5.35m in the long jump. Bault then threw a personal-best 33.36m in the javelin throw and closed her meet by running a personal record 2:30.00 in the 800m run.