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NCAA Track & Field West Prelims: 18 Pac-12 student-athletes book tickets to Nationals

May 25, 2017
ASU Athletics

180 Pac-12 student-athletes kicked off the first day of the 2017 NCAA West Preliminaries hosted by the University of Texas in Austin. With the country split between West Prelims and East Prelims, competitors with the top 12 times/marks and the best 12 relay teams at both the East and West Preliminary Rounds sites will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 7-10. Since there are no multis in preliminary competition, the top 24 decathlon and heptathlon marks in the nation earn an automatic berth to Eugene.

18 student-athletes from the Pac-12 booked their tickets to Eugene today competing in field events and the women's and men's 10K races.

Women's Hammer: Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen will be the conference’s sole representation in the women’s hammer, placing first overall with a hurl of 70.81m/232-2. Ewen became the Pac-12’s first ever champion in the hammer, discus and shot put in the same championship.

Men's Javelin: UCLA’s javelin duo of Simon Litzell (69.14m/226-10) and Marian Spannowsky (66.97m/219-8) will head to Eugene after both setting season-best marks. Joining the Bruin pair is Oregon senior Cody Danielson, who will head home for nationals with a 66.97m/219-8 mark.

Women's Pole Vault: The vaulters from Montlake punched their tickets to Oregon, as Washington’s pair of Kristina Owsinski and Elizabeth Quick will be the Pac-12’s sole representation in the women’s pole vault. Quick, the 2017 Pac-12 champion, cleared 4.30m, 14-1 ¼ on her second attempt from the second flight. Owsinski cleared the same height (as did 8 other women) on her third attempt to book her ticket to Oregon.

Men's Hammer: Another Pac-12 Champion will head to nationals, this time Brock Eager out of Washington State. Eager placed third in the hammer with a mark of 68.22m/223-10 on his third attempt. Oregon’s Cullen Prena also will advanced with a distance of 65.52m/214-11.

Women's Javelin: Stanford underclassmen Mackenzie Little and Jenna Gray advanced and will compete for the national title in the javelin. Little placed third in the West with a 51.09m, 167-7 on her first attempt, while Gray tossed 48.33m, 158-6 on her third attempt. UCLA senior Zaybree Haury will join the Card duo, as the Bruin also hit a mark of 48.33m, 158-6.

Men's Long Jump: USC junior Eric Sloan will be the Pac-12’s lone long jump representation. Sloan finished second overall with a distance of 8.03, 26-4 ¼ on his first and only attempt.

Women's 10K: After a mere 25 laps on the 400-meter track (but who’s counting?) four women will represent the Pac-12 in the 10,000m. Colorado’s Erin Clark crossed the line in 34:41.16 for sixth overall, while her freshman teammate Makena Morley finished 12th in 35:01.40. Morley finished seven seconds ahead for the last qualifying ticket to Eugene. Also in the hunt for a 10k individual title will be California’s Bethan Knights, who clocked a 34:41.74 for seventh. Washington’s Isobel Batt-Doyle placed 10th overall in her second 10k of her career with a 34:54.88 to round out the Pac-12 representation. Check out the Aussie’s 10K path via Washington’s Allyson Ahern.

Women's Long Jump: Oregon freshman and Pac-12 long jump champion Rhesa Foster advanced to Hayward Field, marking a distance of 6.39m/20-11 ¾. That distanced marked her PR with a sixth-place finish to nationals, which isn’t too shabby of a present on her 19th birthday.

Men's 10K: Thursday’s competition wrapped up with the men’s 10,000, where Oregon redshirt freshman Tanner Anderson placed third with a 29:52.26 to clinch his ticket to Eugene. Anderson will be the lone Pac-12 representative at nationals in the men’s 10K.


Arizona

Arizona’s Sage Watson won her 400mH heat in a time of 57.35 for second overall. Watson advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals, slated to begin at 7 p.m. CT.

California

Four Golden Bears advanced to their respective next rounds of competition. Cal’s duo of Jordyn Colter and Rebecca Croft advanced out of the first round of the women’s 800m, with respective times of 2:07.53 and 2:08.69. Friday’s 800m will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Cal senior Thomas Joyce advanced to the men’s 1500 quarterfinals after racing to a time of 3:51.75 in the first round. He placed third in the second heat to seal his place in the quarters.

Rounding out Cal’s day was junior Bethan Knights, who automatically advanced to nationals in the 10,000m in 34:41.74.

Colorado

The track Buffs had seven student-athletes either advance or punch their ticket to Eugene on Thursday night. Along with Makena Morley and Erin Clark’s 10K advancements to Eugene, five Buffs are still alive to the next round.

The 2017 Pac-12 1,500m Champion is through to the quarterfinals, as Dani Jones finished in 4:24.12 to win her heat and fourth overall. On the men’s side in the same distance, Ben Saarel raced to a 3:49.45 for second in his heat and second overall. Both 1,500 quarters will take place on Saturday.

Colorado advanced runners in both the men’s and women’s 400 hurdles. Out of lane eight, freshman Eriana Henderson clocked a 1:00.34 for fifth in heat two, which was good to advance on time. On the men’s side, Jaron Thomas hit a time of 51.76 to finish fourth in the fifth heat, also advancing on time.

Buff senior Nick Harris time qualified in the men’s 800, finishing in a time of 1:50.88 to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.

Oregon

The Ducks paced the day with 23 advancers from Thursday, either sending competitors straight to Eugene for nationals or qualifying to their respective next rounds.

The top-ranked Women of Oregon got prelims started off on a good foot with 12 overall advancers. The wind was whipping in Austin, but highlighting the day was the women’s 100m with Ariana Washington, Hannah Cunliffe and Deajah Stevens. Washington was the lone sub-11 second runner of the event, clocking non-wind-legal 10.97 to win her heat and the top time overall. Deajah Stevens hit an 11-flat to win the fourth heat and get second place overall. Hannah Cunliffe rounded out the Duck trio with an 11.06 to win the second heat. No time in the men’s or women’s short sprints would make the allowable wind mark (2.0 m/s).

Three Ducks would advance in the long sprint, the women’s 400m. Ashante Horsley (53.56), Elexis Guster (52.27) and Makenzie Dunmore (52.41) each booked their places in Friday’s quarters.

In the women’s 1500, Katie Rainsberger (4:23.49), Emma Abrahamson (4:26.06) and Jessica Hull (4:32.86) each moved on.

Paving the way in the women’s 800m was UO standout Raevyn Rogers whose 2:06.94 held up for the best time overall in the field. Joining Rogers is Brooke Feldmeier, who finished in second from heat one with a time of 2:09.52.

The men’s side saw 11 advancers. Leading the pack are five Ducks who advanced through in the men’s 1,500. Blake Haney (3:59.19) Austin Tamagno (3:52.16, on time) Tim Gorman (3:51.75), Mick Stanovsek (3:55.68) and Sam Prakel (3:54.68) will all don some form of green and yellow for Oregon in the semifinals.

Sprinters Damarcus Simpson and Pac-12 Athlete of the Year Kyree King advanced through to the quarters in the 100m. Simpson ran a 9.94 for second overall, and King’s 10.06 placed him sixth overall. Neither time was wind legal.

Marcus Chambers is the last Duck through to quarters, as his 46.94 in the 400-meter-dash was good enough for second in the fifth heat.

Stanford

The Card sent five women through in the 1500m, almost half of the Pac-12 contingent. Maddy Berkson (4:25.78), Rebecca Mehra (4:24.84), Christina Aragon (4:23.87), Malika Waschmann (4:29.27) and Elise Cranny (4:33.95) all clocked through for Stanford.

Freshman Sarah Walker advanced on time in the 800 in 2:08.91 and Olivia Baker in 2:08.17.

On the men’s side, Tai Dinger advanced through in the 800 in 1:51.22.

UCLA

Sophomore Julia Rizk hit a time of 2:08.48 in the 800 to place second in heat five. Leon Powell (men’s 100, 10.26) Logen Casavant (men’s 400, 46.58, on time) and 2017 Pac-12 champion Rai Benjamin (men’s 400H, 51.83) advanced as well.

USC

Seven Women of Troy advanced through to quarterfinals. Deanna Hill (11.01) and Ky Westbrook (11.23) advanced in the 100m, Cameron Pettigrew (52.55) and Kendall Ellis (52.45) in the 400m, Amalie Iuel (57.21) and Anna Cockrell (58.34) in the 400mH and Mikaela Smith 800m (2:08.33).

Advancing through for the men include Ricky Morgan JR (46.42) and Michael Norman (45.81) in the 400. In the 100-meter-dash, freshman TJ Brock hit a time of 10.156, and Robert Ford advanced through in the two-lap race in a time of 1:49.30.

Utah

Ute freshman Amanda Gerich advanced in the women’s 1500m, qualifying on time in a 4:25.12.

Washington

For the Washington women, four Dawgs advanced through to the quarterfinals. Darhian Mills advanced in the women’s 400mH on time with a 59.82. Second Team 1500m All-America honoree Amy-Eloise Neale advanced in the same event with a time of 4:28.59. Laura Anuakpado placed third in her 400m heat in 53.73 to advance to quarters, while Husky sophomore Hannah Derby clocked a third-place finish in her 800m heat in 2:10.17.

Washington State

With Brock Eager and Sam Levora already punching their tickets, three additional Cougars advanced through to their next rounds. Ja'Maun Charles stopped the clock in 10.237 to time qualify in the men’s 100m, while CJ Allen won his 400mH heat in 50.4 to advance through. On the women’s side, 2017 Pac-12 Heptathlon champion Alissa Brooks-Johnson advanced on time in the women’s 400mH in 59.99.