Four NCAA titles highlight Pac-12's Day 3 showing at NCAA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships

EUGENE — NCAA Champions and personal records and collegiate best times, oh my! It was a wet Friday in Eugene, but even the rain couldn't slow these guys down.

[Related: 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships results (NCAA.com)]

Saying the Trojans had a big day would be an understatement. Pac-12 Champion and indoor 400-meter dash world record holder Michael Norman took home the outdoor 400m title following his 43.61-second lap. That’s a: collegiate record, Hayward Field record and the fastest time in the world this year.

“To be honest, I’m pretty bummed. I didn’t even beat my coach’s PR,” Norman said laughingly following the race.

Just a few minutes after him, Rai Benjamin claimed an NCAA title of his own in the 400m hurdles. His time of 47.02 is also a collegiate record, Hayward Field record and the second fastest all-time mark.

These guys didn’t get much of a break before adding yet another NCAA title and collegiate record to their resumes in the 4x400m. The team of Ricky Morgan Jr., Zach Schinnick, Benjamin and Norman ran a time of 2:59.00 in the final event of the day.

Pac-12 Champ Earnie Sears placed seventh in the high jump with his 2.18-meter, 7 1 3/4-inches jump. Fellow Pac-12 Champion Robert Ford also finished seventh in the 800m, running 1:46.72.

The Men of Troy wrapped up NCAA action with a fourth place overall team finish.

Heptathlete Lyndsey Lopes completed four of her seven events Friday, notching a PR in the 100m hurdles (13.48) and finishing the first of two days in 10th place with 3,437 points.

The Cardinal also carried on its impressive NCAA performance, crowning yet another national champion in Sean McGorty. The senior closed out his career in a Stanford uniform with a 13:54.81 performance at 5,000m (that included a 56.53 last lap!) with teammate Grant Fisher a quarter of a second behind him in third place (13:55.04).

Pac-12 Champion Steven Fahy ran a lifetime best (8:34.52) in the 3,000m steeplechase to earn third place in the event, while the Card’s 4x400m team ran 3:05.50 for eighth place. Stanford’s overall men’s team finish in eighth is the highest since 2011.

A fourth-place finish in the 100m (10.27) by Pac-12 Champ Cravon Gillespie was the highest finish of the day for the Ducks. Freshman Cooper Teare ran 14:08.18 to finish 17th in the 5,000m, Ben Milligan jumped 2.08m (6-9 3/4) for a T-18th place in the high jump and mid distance duo Sam Prakel and Mick Stanovsek finished sixth (3:45.73) and 12th (3:56.12), respectively.

Freshman Maksims Sincukovs earned All-American status at his first NCAA Championships with a seventh-place finish in the 400m hurdles (50.63).

Jordan Geist continues to build on his collegiate resume, adding second-team All-American status with a 12th-place finish in the discus (54.95m / 180-3). Fellow Wildcat Turner Washington finished 19th in the event with a best throw of 53.36m (175-1).

Bryant O’Georgia posted no height in the high jump, and heptathlete Alyssa Thompson withdrew from competition following the first event due to an ankle injury.

The Golden Bears saw a pair of student-athletes compete on the field Friday. Pac-12 Champ Tuomas Kaukolahti placed 18th in the triple jump with a 15.53m (50-11 1/2) best attempt. Sophomore McKay Johnson finished 18th in the discus, throwing 53.43m (175-3).

The Buffs’ lone representative in Friday's action was senior Zach Perrin, who completed the 5,000m in 14:16.56 for 19th place.

Both of the day’s distance events featured Huskies. Andrew Gardner set a PR of 8:37.07 in the 3,000m steeplechase — good enough for fifth place. Colby Gilbert finished the 5,000m in 14:27.22 to claim 22nd place in the event.

Pac-12 Champion Alissa Brooks-Johnson completed the first four events of her heptathlon Friday, ending the day in 11th place with 3,419 points.

Also wrapping day one of the heptathlon is Kendall Gustafson, who ends the day in eighth place with 3,440 points.

The NCAA Track & Field Championships wrap up on Saturday beginning at 11:30 am PT.