Running out of time has been Charlinda Ioane’s motivation.

Throughout her senior season on the Hawaii track and field team, the Kapolei alumna told herself there won’t be opportunities to return next season and make up for unfinished work. Two weeks ago, she was four spots away from qualifying for the NCAA regional meet in the discus.

A big throw at the Big West Championship vaulted her into the qualifying group, and Ioane is one of five Rainbow Wahine who qualified for this week’s NCAA West Preliminary Championships. The top 12 finishers in each event that runs Thursday through Saturday at the University of Kansas will advance to June’s NCAA Championships in Oregon.

“I opened up with a 48 and that’s kind of where I’ve been sitting at this year, so this is either it or it’s not going to be it,” said Ioane, who finished third at the Big West Championships with a throw of 52.42 meters (172 feet). “My mom was there and as soon as I threw (52.42) and I got out of the ring, she’s like ‘it’s good, it’s good.’ I told her I have to get over that 50 line this year. If not I’m done. Seeing her face before I saw the mark, it was a good throw.”

Ioane and senior Alex Porlier Langlois are competing in both the discus and shot put this week. Junior Felicianna Vasquez and redshirt freshman Karen Bulger qualified for the javelin. Senior Tiziana Ruiz-Dominguez qualified for the pole vault.

“To rise to the occasion your senior year, she’s just super excited and I’m so happy for her,” coach Carmyn James said of Ioane.

Porlier Langlois, who will be competing in her third regional meet, will share her knowledge with the other four, who are headed there for the first time. After UH qualified just two athletes last year, Porlier Langlois will enjoy the larger travel party.

“Regionals is always such a stressful meet,” said Porlier Langlois, who advanced to the NCAA Championships in the shot put last year. “You only have three chances (throws) to make it to nationals and everybody is hungry and everybody wants to make it to nationals. Having other teammates and I think having me around that can let them know what’s going on or how it goes — it’s a bit better and we can all share that experience together.”

Porlier Langlois missed part of the winter indoor track season with a hip flexor injury. Still not fully recovered, she recorded personal bests in the shot put and discus at the Big West meet, finishing second in both.

“We pushed through it and (throwing) coach Josh (Aydlette) and I worked together and definitely made it work,” Porlier Langlois said.

In the offseason, Aydlette worked with UH’s weight room staff to devise a training plan for his throwers. His throwers have turned in personal records throughout the year.

“It’s awesome to see them hit PR after PR,” Aydlette said. “This year, I think we averaged seven to eight PRs per meet. It’s just outstanding the type of success we’ve had this year.”

Vasquez started as a heptathlete, but success in the javelin and injuries shifted her focus to the javelin this season. Not entirely ready to part ways with her multiple events, she practices on the hurdles to work on speed.

“Everyone is improving and it’s the perfect time to peak,” said Vasquez, a Radford alumna. “It’s amazing to be able to go all the way to the other side of the country with the people I throw with every day.”

Bulger was outside of the top 48 regional qualifying group until her sixth and final throw at the Big West meet. Bulger finished second with a throw of 46.68 meters (153 feet, 2 inches), narrowly missing the winning throw of 46.70 by Megan Mooney of Cal Poly.

“It helps the girl (Mooney) previously before me threw a big one and I said ‘I’m not losing, there’s no way,’” Bulger said. “It definitely helps when a person steps up and you realize you really have to kick it into high gear.”

Ruiz-Dominguez developed Olympic aspirations after competing in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010. She hopes to vault for Mexico in the 2020 Olympics.

“That was a great experience for me, all these people from all these countries and they were already jumping elite standards,” Ruiz Dominguez said. “I want to do that.”

Track and field notes

Colorado All-American Pierce Murphy, an Island School alum from Kauai, is seeded third in the men’s 10,000-meter run and seventh in the 5,000. Texas A&M senior Devin Jenkins, a Kapolei graduate, scratched from the 100 and 200. He had the region’s top time in the 200.