A little absence made Richard Covington's heart fonder about the trip he is on this weekend in Walnut, Calif.

The Angelo State University junior qualified for the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships for the second time in his collegiate career.

A 2005 graduate of Monahans High School, Covington will run legs for the Rams today in the qualifying races of the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays at Mt. San Antonio College's Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

Covington also qualified for nationals in 2006 as a freshman, running a leg on a 4x400 relay that finished sixth to earn All-American honors.

But his sophomore season fell short of another national berth, creating instant motivation to return to his sport's ultimate level.

"I was telling my mom that (missing last year) made me realize what an honor it is to make it in the first place," Covington said. "My freshman year I didn't really grasp the concept of what an honor it is making nationals and becoming an All-American.

"When I missed last year, I realized it's a lot harder than I thought. Missing a year definitely made me apply myself to coming back a lot more."

In fact, Covington's trip could be twice as profitable after qualifying in two different relays.

Both are composed of the same foursome - junior Raymond Hickem of Temple; junior Jeremy Jones of Oakland, Calif.; and freshman Brian Holik of Wall.

 The 4x100 relay qualified with a time of 40.83 seconds and is seeded 12th while the 4x400 qualified with a best mark of 3:12.38 and is seeded eighth.

Qualifying for the 4x100 is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. today CDT, with the 4x400 relay qualifying at 11:10 p.m. Saturday.

"I love (running relays) because not only can you do something for yourself, but three other guys help you out," Covington said. "Everybody benefits from it."

While competing for Monahans, Covington qualified for the UIL State Championships as both a junior and senior and set the stage for a possible collegiate career.

But not only did Covington have to make the tough transition from high school to college, he also had to do it from the Class 3A ranks to the very competitive NCAA Division II level.

"I was telling our first leg, Raymond, that we've got to be proud of ourselves because a lot of people dropped out who started with us (with the Rams)," Covington said. "I'm real proud to be where we are. One of the biggest adjustments is that every day in practice counts.

"You've got to give it your all or you won't be ready for competitions because the level of competition is so intense. It's just such an increase of all the performance levels - we're competing with world-class athletes sometimes - and you've got to make everything count every day you're on the track."

Learning that lesson is one of the reasons Covington is back competing this weekend in California.