University of Washington
NCAA Regionals (West)
Huskies Add Five More To NCAA Travel Party
May 29, 2016 | Track & Field
Complete Results
LAWRENCE, Kansas – Five more Husky distance runners ran through the fields of the NCAA West Preliminaries today to claim their spots in Eugene and bring Washington's total NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifiers to sixteen. That total is the most that UW has ever advanced under the current West Prelims format, which began in 2010, and ties for the second-most NCAA Outdoor qualifiers in school history.
After wild weather, schedule and site changes, today the sun finally came out to stay at Rock Chalk Park. The Huskies added to the 11 athletes they qualified on Friday's marathon day of track, with four different Dawgs moving on in the 1,500-meters plus Colby Gilbert advancing in the 5,000-meters.
The West Prelims function as the first rounds for the NCAA Outdoor meet, which will wrap up at Oregon's Hayward Field from June 8-11. The entire western half of the NCAA was in Kansas, taking fields of 48 athletes in every event down to 12 that move on to Eugene. The East Prelims were held simultaneously in Florida, making for fields of 24 at the final site. Washington will send nine men and seven women on to Oregon, the most since 2009 when UW had 19 total athletes make the cut in the old four site West Region format.
First up on the track was the women's 1,500-meters, with three Huskies in the field of 48. Junior Maddie Meyers was in the first heat, and ran a solid time of 4:22.98 but as the rest of the heats came through, it pushed her down to 18th overall and out of advancing position. The third heat featured both Anna Maxwell and Amy-Eloise Neale. The two were in the middle of the pack for the first two laps, until Neale made a move to take the lead and push the pace on the third lap. Over the final 150 meters, Maxwell moved up from third on the outside to take the lead, and she kicked to the win in 4:18.39. Neale was right behind in fourth in 4:18.67. At the moment, that made her the final time qualifier, and she had to wait anxiously through the final heat to see if it would hold up, but the last heat was won in just 4:21, so Maxwell and Neale were through together to their first NCAA Outdoor semis.
The men's 1,500-meters followed a similar script for the three Huskies in the field. Johnathan Stevens was in the second heat, and took sixth in the 12-man field in 3:47.72, but the heat went too slow as a whole to produce any qualifiers outside the top-two auto advancers.
The next heat would go much faster, and that was because Izaic Yorks went out aggressively from the gun as he has consistently this outdoor season. He had a 15 meter lead halfway through the race, and cruised to the heat win in 3:43.14. In the same heat, junior Blake Nelson sat back in the pack as Yorks led, and made a late kick to pick off several other runners. He came across fourth in 3:44.08. Similar to Neale on the women's side, Nelson had to sweat out the final heat to see if he would get through, but his time held up as he had the last time qualifier by just .06 seconds. Yorks will now make a third straight NCAA Outdoor appearance and Nelson will make his first.
Senior Chris Williams has been a stalwart for the Dawgs for the past four years, scoring dozens of points over the pole vault, hurdles, and relays at the conference meets, and earning All-America honors in the 60m hurdles earlier this year. He just missed his first NCAA appearance in the pole vault last night, taking 15th overall, and had a final shot in the 110m hurdles today. The Philadelphia native posted a season-best, running 14.10, but it wouldn't be quick enough to advance, as Williams' great Husky career wrapped up.
Sophomore Colby Gilbert joined the Eugene travel party in the 5,000-meters, as the Pac-12 Champ ran a calm and cool race to finish third in his heat, with the top-five auto advancing. Gilbert wrapped his run in 14:12.25 to reach his first NCAA Outdoor meet. Redshirt freshman Fred Huxham was in the mix late, as he was in the top-five heading into the final lap, but he ran out of steam over the last few turns and took ninth in his heat, and 17th overall in 14:23.44.
Meyers and Katie Knight both doubled back from earlier races to run in the second heat of the women's 5k. Knight, who qualified in the 10k yesterday morning, was unable to add a second qualifier, as she was 19th in the heat, while Meyers stayed up with the front group until late in the race, but couldn't find a last gear to close, and settled for 12th in the heat in 16:51.88.
Both Husky 4x400m relays closed out the weekend on the track. The women's group of Hannah Derby, Alexis Ford, Carolyn Birkenfeld, and Baylee Mires was coming off a season-best of 3:38.88 from Pac-12s, the second-fastest in school history. The group broke 3:40 again today, going 3:39.87.
The men's relay saw seniors Quadelle Satterwhite lead off and Andrew Prentice run the third leg, with junior Andrew Brown on the second leg and freshman Ryan Croson anchoring. Seeded 23rd coming in, the men took 19th overall running 3:09.70.
Casey Burns was the first Husky to compete this morning in the men's triple jump. After a foul on his first, he got out to 49-3 ¾ on his second attempt. His third looked to be a little farther, but was ruled to be just over the line for another foul, and he would wind up 30th overall.
The final Husky to get on the field was senior Frank Catelli in the shot put. Catelli had a PR two weeks ago at Pac-12s but with just three attempts today, he wasn't able to find the range in the ring, and finished up 28th overall with a best of 58-feet, 2-inches.
Washington Track & Field
NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Day 3 of 3 – May 28, 2016
Lawrence, Kansas – Rock Chalk Park
Men's Results
1,500m; Quarterfinal 2 of 4: 6. Johnathan Stevens, 3:47.72
1,500m; Quarterfinal 3 of 4: 1. Izaic Yorks, 3:43.14 (Advances To Eugene); 4. Blake Nelson, 3:44.08 (Advances To Eugene).
5,000m; Semifinal 2 of 2: 3. Colby Gilbert, 14:12.25 (Advances To Eugene); 9. Fred Huxham, 14:23.44.
110m Hurdles; Quarterfinal 6 of 6: 5. Chris Williams, 14.10
4x400m Relay; Quarterfinal 2 of 3: Satterwhite/Brown/Prentice/Croson, 3:09.70
Triple Jump: 30. Casey Burns, 49-3 ¾
Shot Put: 28. Frank Catelli, 58-2
Women's Results
1,500m; Quarterfinal 1 of 4: 6. Maddie Meyers, 4:22.98
1,500m; Quarterfinal 3 of 4: 1. Anna Maxwell, 4:18.39 (Advances To Eugene); 4. Amy-Eloise Neale, 4:18.67 (Advances To Eugene).
5,000m; Semifinal 2 of 2: 12. Maddie Meyers, 16:51.88; 19. Katie Knight, 17:10.27
4x400m Relay; Quaterfinal 3 of 3: 8. Derby/Ford/Birkenfeld/Mires, 3:39.87
Friday NCAA Qualifiers
Men
Carson Fuller, Javelin
Andrew Gardner, 3,000-meter Steeplechase
Quinn Hale, Javelin
Tyler King, 10,000-meters
Aaron Nelson, 3,000-meter Steeplechase
Jax Thoirs, Pole Vault
Women
Kennadi Bouyer, 100-meters
Katie Knight, 10,000-meters
Baylee Mires, 800-meters
Charlotte Prouse, 3,000-meter Steeplechase
Elizabeth Quick, Pole Vault
Players Mentioned
