TURLOCK, Calif. - It wasn't quite the homecoming that Angelo State's Trevor Rogers had envisioned. Rogers, a native of nearby El Sobrante, Calif., squeaked into the finals and finished ninth in the long jump competition as the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships opened Thursday night.

Rogers, who entered the competition with the fourth-best long jump in the country, hit his longest mark on his second attempt of the evening - a leap of 23-9 (7.24m) and just enough to earn three more attempts. Rogers had legal marks on the first two jumps of the final round, neither better than his previous jump, before scratching on his last.

"I can't even explain it," Rogers said after the event. "I didn't feel good on any of my jumps honestly - I don't know what to say."

Cal-State Los Angeles' Giorgio Bryant was crowned the national champion with a jump of 26-1.5, Indiana's (Pa.) Nafee Harris (25-10) and Adams State's James Douglas (25-0.5) in second and third.

Rogers was a double qualifier for the Rams and will compete in the triple jump Saturday, a fact that offered little solace Thursday night.

"I'll just go out there and have some fun and we'll see what happens," Rogers said. "I'm an underdog in that event."

Angelo State's Isidro Garcia (400-meter dash), Tiffany Wilcox (100-meter dash), Nick Smith (100-meter dash) and Brian Holik (400-meter hurdles) were scheduled to run in the prelims late Thursday night. Rogers was the first of 15 ASU student-athletes to compete at this year's championship meet.

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