ATLANTA, Ga. (May 16, 2009) - Senior Holly Nearman and junior Reigna Pierce narrowly missed a pair of school records for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's track and field team at a pair of last chance qualifiers over the weekend.

Nearman just missed out on the school 1500m mark at the Georgia Tech Invitational, while Pierce competed in the triple jump at the Cardinal Twilight Friday in Louisville, Ky.

"For people who have already qualified for regionals, this was a good tune-up, bridging them up to regionals with good competition," UWM head coach Pete Corfeld said. "We also took some of our younger athletes, getting them experience at a bigger meet. (Last chance qualifiers) serve a bigger purpose than right now. Big picture, planning for their future, this gives them big meet experience and makes them hungry for bigger meets and traveling for next time around. We expect big times for them."

Nearman ran a time of 4:32.77 in the 1500m Friday to miss the school record in the event by 3.76 seconds. Sophomore Tanaiya Fisher and senior Danielle Magargee also competed in the event. Fisher was 29th in 4:44.26, while Magargee took 30th in 4:45.38.

The trio joined freshman Erika Hanson in the 800m Saturday, with Fisher leading the pack in 2:16.89 for 29th place. Nearman and Hanson finished together, with Nearman crossing the line 32nd in 2:17.86 and Hanson 33rd in 2:17.92. Magargee took 37th in 2:23.97.

Pierce placed third in Louisville in the triple jump with a leap of 39-4 1/2. That jump is a personal best and just two inches off the school record. She was the only Panther woman to compete at the Twilight.

Back in Atlanta, junior Kesley Conrad placed 13th in the 200m with a time of 24.15. Junior Abbie Zaspel rounded out UWM's competitors on the weekend, taking fifth in the 5000m with a time of 18:04.93.

Milwaukee has two weeks to prepare for the upcoming NCAA Regionals, May 29-30, in Louisville, Ky.