Thursday, May 25
Austin, Texas
9:00 AM
University of Washington
at
NCAA West Regionals
Huskies Advance Three To NCAA Finals At West Prelims
May 25, 2017 | Track & Field
AUSTIN, Texas – Over a ten hour span of track and field in the mid-90s Texas heat, the Huskies came away with their first three qualifiers for the NCAA Outdoor Championships today at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Senior pole vault duo Kristina Owsinski and Elizabeth Quick came through in the clutch once again for the first two tickets, and the night was capped off by Izzi Batt-Doyle making her first NCAA meet with a gutsy 10,000-meters through the humid night air.
The NCAA West Preliminary Championships will continue for two more days as athletes fight for top-12 finishes that will equate to a spot in Eugene, Ore. June 7-10 for the final rounds of the championships. In addition to the three Eugene qualifiers today, four more Dawgs advanced from the first round into the quarterfinals to come either Friday or Saturday.
When Owsinski, the outdoor school record-holder, ruptured her Achilles during the 2016 indoor track season, the decision to battle back and return for year six was fueled by a desire to get one more NCAA Championship experience. She earned that today, and made it dramatic as well, as her final clearance came on a third-attempt jump that if missed, would have left her one spot out of the mix.
Owsinski, fourth at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, made 12-11 ½ on her first attempt then cleared 13-5 ¼ on her second try. She made 13-9 ¼ on another first attempt, but then missed her first two chances at 14-1 ¼. On the final attempt, Owsinski swung up and got her legs over the bar then pulled her shoulders back and away to leave the bar untouched and she bounced off the mat with a fist pump.
"I told myself I couldn't make it this far from a torn Achilles to give up now," said Owsinski. "Today was one of the most mentally and physically tough competitions in my college career. To make it in a field as stacked as the West makes it incredibly exciting to compete with the best in Eugene, and having both Liz and I make it was the cherry on top of my season. Moments like this make coming back for a sixth year so worth it!"
Quick will be joining Owsinski in Eugene as she moves on to her second NCAA Outdoor final and her fourth-straight NCAA meet including the last two indoor championships. The two-time Pac-12 Champion cleared her opening height of 12-11 ½ on one try, then made 13-5 ¼ on a second attempt. Quick had another first jump make at 13-9 ¼, and at the make-or-break height of 14-1 ¼, Quick was clean over that on her second try. It was the second-best outdoor clearance of Quick's career.
"It was awesome qualifying to top off my senior year," Quick said. "This meet has always been so stressful, even more than nationals, and today was probably the hardest regional competition ever, with 10 girls clearing 4.30 meters. So it was awesome being able to go out and compete and clear a high bar and qualify."
Wrapping up the night was the women's 10,000-meters, starting at 9 p.m. local time. Batt-Doyle and senior Kaylee Flanagan took on the long grind with all 48 qualifiers running at once. Batt-Doyle made her 10k debut at the Pac-12 Championships where she finished fourth but that came in a chilly downpour and tonight was a humid 80-degree night. The Australian native found herself for most of the entire race sitting between 10th to 13th, and for a good chunk of time late in the race, Batt-Doyle was alone in 12th, trying to gain ground on runners ahead of her while holding off runners targeting her spot from behind.
It was a war of attrition as a handful of contending runners dropped out late in the race, but Batt-Doyle stayed the course and moved up to 10th in the end, in 34:54.88. Flanagan, in her final race as a Dawg, kept battling to the end as always, as she crossed in 36:07.03 for 28th-place in the field of 48.
"That was definitely the hardest race I've ever done," said a tired but triumphant Batt-Doyle. "It felt like my legs just weren't moving off the ground, and I was stuck in a sauna. Going into this race I was pretty confident because I knew I was ranked seventh in the region but when it comes to the race rankings don't matter, so I knew I had to be tough. It's 25 laps and your mind plays games with you. I went out and was in a good position but then suddenly I was swallowed into the group and you start thinking negative things. But I knew that I had the speed to finish because I've PR'd this season in the 1,500, so when I got to eight laps to go I thought, 'Okay, I can do this' and I picked it up and it really hurt. My mom and stepdad had booked tickets to nationals already before I even made it, so the fact that I made it and they're coming is just amazing!"
First up on the track today was redshirt freshman Darhian Mills in her first NCAA Championship experience. Mills, fourth at the Pac-12 meet two weeks ago, was fourth in her heat with a time of 59.82, advancing on time to Friday's quarterfinal round.
Also advancing through to the quarterfinal round was junior Amy-Eloise Neale in the 1,500-meters. Neale bided her time over the first three laps before making a move into second-place with one lap to go, and she never blinked the rest of the way, easing to the line in second-place with the top-five automatically advancing, posting a time of 4:28.59.
Senior Laura Anuakpado successfully advanced through in the 400-meters first round, running on the inside lane and getting out aggressively through the first turn, she finished with a time of 53.73 seconds that was just .01 off her outdoor season-best, taking third in her heat.
The next advancer was sophomore Hannah Derby who led for most of her 800-meter first round run before hanging on to nab third-place to get the last auto advancing spot in a time of 2:10.17. Derby moves into her first quarterfinals in her second Prelims appearance.
While Quick and Owsinski extended their decorated careers, the Dawgs also had to see some of their standout record-setters compete for the final time today. All-American Kennadi Bouyer, the school record-holder in the 60-meters, indoor 200-meters, 4x100-meter relay, and second in the 100-meters could not quite move on in her 100m heat today, as she ran 11.53 seconds to finish sixth in her heat as big tailwinds made for some very fast times.
Senior All-American Carson Fuller had successfully navigated the West Prelims all three times he had been here before, but the reigning Pac-12 Champion couldn't find his groove today, and unfortunately Fuller's great UW career came to a close. Fuller took intentional fouls on his first two attempts after struggling to get a good flight on the javelin, and his third got caught upright and landed at just 207-11, to finish 21st overall today. Sophomore Denham Patricelli also had a tough series, with a best of 205-9 as he finished 24th in his first Prelim meet.
Back on the track, senior Blake Nelson, a two-time First Team All-American on the distance medley relay, and a 1,500m honorable mention All-American last year, saw his stellar five year Husky career finish up today, as he was eighth in his 1,500-meter first round heat and would not advance in 3:59.24. Junior Johnathan Stevens also finished his year with a ninth-place effort in the first of the four heats in a time of 4:01.31 in a tactical race that was won in 3:59.
In the women's hammer throw, junior Onyie Chibuogwu, the Pac-12 runner-up two weeks ago, had a best toss of 191-9 on her second attempt which would not be enough to move on to her first nationals, as she finished 25th overall today.
Joining Quick and Owsinski in the women's vault was junior Kaitlin Zinsli, who was added to the meet after a medical scratch. In her first ever West Prelim, Zinsli cleared the opening height of 12-5 ½ on her first attempt, but missed her three tries at the 12-11 bar. Freshman Emmy Engle was a late add to the field in the women's javelin, essentially coming in seeded No. 48, and she outpaced that today, finishing 36th overall with a throw of 137-feet, 6-inches, to cap her first year as a Dawg.
Redshirt freshman Connor Morello competed well in his first career West Prelims appearance, as he came in as the last entry in the field but ran much better than that. Morello, a Pac-12 finalist this season, ran a time of 1:51.73 to take sixth in his heat and 26th overall, a 22 spot improvement over his seeding.
Washington Track & Field
NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Day 1 of 3 – May 25, 2017
Austin, Texas – Mike A. Myers Stadium
Men's Results
800m (1st Round, heat 1 of 6): 6. Connor Morello, 1:51.73.
1,500m (1st Round, heat 1 of 4): 9. Johnathan Stevens, 4:01.31; (1st Round, heat 4 of 4): 8. Blake Nelson, 3:59.24.
Javelin: 21. Carson Fuller, 207-11; 24. Denham Patricelli, 205-9.
Women's Results
100m (1st Round, heat 5 of 6): 6. Kennadi Bouyer, 11.53.
400m (1st Round, heat 2 of 6): 3. Laura Anuakpado, 53.73 (Advances to Quarters).
800m (1st Round, heat 2 of 6): 3. Hannah Derby, 2:10.17 (Advances to Quarters).
10,000m (Semifinal): 10. Izzi Batt-Doyle, 34:54.88 (Advances to Eugene); 28. Kaylee Flanagan, 36:07.03
400m Hurdles (1st Round, heat 3 of 6): 4. Darhian Mills, 59.82 (Advances to Quarters).
1,500m (1st Round, heat 3 of 4): 2. Amy-Eloise Neale, 4:28.59 (Advances to Quarters).
Pole Vault: 8. Elizabeth Quick, 14-1 ¼ (Advances To Eugene); 10. Kristina Owsinski, 14-1 ¼ (Advances To Eugene); 39 (tie). Kaitlin Zinsli, 12-5 ½.
Hammer: 25. Onyie Chibuogwu, 191-9.
Javelin: 36. Emmy Engle, 137-6.
The NCAA West Preliminary Championships will continue for two more days as athletes fight for top-12 finishes that will equate to a spot in Eugene, Ore. June 7-10 for the final rounds of the championships. In addition to the three Eugene qualifiers today, four more Dawgs advanced from the first round into the quarterfinals to come either Friday or Saturday.
When Owsinski, the outdoor school record-holder, ruptured her Achilles during the 2016 indoor track season, the decision to battle back and return for year six was fueled by a desire to get one more NCAA Championship experience. She earned that today, and made it dramatic as well, as her final clearance came on a third-attempt jump that if missed, would have left her one spot out of the mix.
Owsinski, fourth at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, made 12-11 ½ on her first attempt then cleared 13-5 ¼ on her second try. She made 13-9 ¼ on another first attempt, but then missed her first two chances at 14-1 ¼. On the final attempt, Owsinski swung up and got her legs over the bar then pulled her shoulders back and away to leave the bar untouched and she bounced off the mat with a fist pump.
"I told myself I couldn't make it this far from a torn Achilles to give up now," said Owsinski. "Today was one of the most mentally and physically tough competitions in my college career. To make it in a field as stacked as the West makes it incredibly exciting to compete with the best in Eugene, and having both Liz and I make it was the cherry on top of my season. Moments like this make coming back for a sixth year so worth it!"
Quick will be joining Owsinski in Eugene as she moves on to her second NCAA Outdoor final and her fourth-straight NCAA meet including the last two indoor championships. The two-time Pac-12 Champion cleared her opening height of 12-11 ½ on one try, then made 13-5 ¼ on a second attempt. Quick had another first jump make at 13-9 ¼, and at the make-or-break height of 14-1 ¼, Quick was clean over that on her second try. It was the second-best outdoor clearance of Quick's career.
"It was awesome qualifying to top off my senior year," Quick said. "This meet has always been so stressful, even more than nationals, and today was probably the hardest regional competition ever, with 10 girls clearing 4.30 meters. So it was awesome being able to go out and compete and clear a high bar and qualify."
Wrapping up the night was the women's 10,000-meters, starting at 9 p.m. local time. Batt-Doyle and senior Kaylee Flanagan took on the long grind with all 48 qualifiers running at once. Batt-Doyle made her 10k debut at the Pac-12 Championships where she finished fourth but that came in a chilly downpour and tonight was a humid 80-degree night. The Australian native found herself for most of the entire race sitting between 10th to 13th, and for a good chunk of time late in the race, Batt-Doyle was alone in 12th, trying to gain ground on runners ahead of her while holding off runners targeting her spot from behind.
It was a war of attrition as a handful of contending runners dropped out late in the race, but Batt-Doyle stayed the course and moved up to 10th in the end, in 34:54.88. Flanagan, in her final race as a Dawg, kept battling to the end as always, as she crossed in 36:07.03 for 28th-place in the field of 48.
"That was definitely the hardest race I've ever done," said a tired but triumphant Batt-Doyle. "It felt like my legs just weren't moving off the ground, and I was stuck in a sauna. Going into this race I was pretty confident because I knew I was ranked seventh in the region but when it comes to the race rankings don't matter, so I knew I had to be tough. It's 25 laps and your mind plays games with you. I went out and was in a good position but then suddenly I was swallowed into the group and you start thinking negative things. But I knew that I had the speed to finish because I've PR'd this season in the 1,500, so when I got to eight laps to go I thought, 'Okay, I can do this' and I picked it up and it really hurt. My mom and stepdad had booked tickets to nationals already before I even made it, so the fact that I made it and they're coming is just amazing!"
First up on the track today was redshirt freshman Darhian Mills in her first NCAA Championship experience. Mills, fourth at the Pac-12 meet two weeks ago, was fourth in her heat with a time of 59.82, advancing on time to Friday's quarterfinal round.
Also advancing through to the quarterfinal round was junior Amy-Eloise Neale in the 1,500-meters. Neale bided her time over the first three laps before making a move into second-place with one lap to go, and she never blinked the rest of the way, easing to the line in second-place with the top-five automatically advancing, posting a time of 4:28.59.
Senior Laura Anuakpado successfully advanced through in the 400-meters first round, running on the inside lane and getting out aggressively through the first turn, she finished with a time of 53.73 seconds that was just .01 off her outdoor season-best, taking third in her heat.
The next advancer was sophomore Hannah Derby who led for most of her 800-meter first round run before hanging on to nab third-place to get the last auto advancing spot in a time of 2:10.17. Derby moves into her first quarterfinals in her second Prelims appearance.
While Quick and Owsinski extended their decorated careers, the Dawgs also had to see some of their standout record-setters compete for the final time today. All-American Kennadi Bouyer, the school record-holder in the 60-meters, indoor 200-meters, 4x100-meter relay, and second in the 100-meters could not quite move on in her 100m heat today, as she ran 11.53 seconds to finish sixth in her heat as big tailwinds made for some very fast times.
Senior All-American Carson Fuller had successfully navigated the West Prelims all three times he had been here before, but the reigning Pac-12 Champion couldn't find his groove today, and unfortunately Fuller's great UW career came to a close. Fuller took intentional fouls on his first two attempts after struggling to get a good flight on the javelin, and his third got caught upright and landed at just 207-11, to finish 21st overall today. Sophomore Denham Patricelli also had a tough series, with a best of 205-9 as he finished 24th in his first Prelim meet.
Back on the track, senior Blake Nelson, a two-time First Team All-American on the distance medley relay, and a 1,500m honorable mention All-American last year, saw his stellar five year Husky career finish up today, as he was eighth in his 1,500-meter first round heat and would not advance in 3:59.24. Junior Johnathan Stevens also finished his year with a ninth-place effort in the first of the four heats in a time of 4:01.31 in a tactical race that was won in 3:59.
In the women's hammer throw, junior Onyie Chibuogwu, the Pac-12 runner-up two weeks ago, had a best toss of 191-9 on her second attempt which would not be enough to move on to her first nationals, as she finished 25th overall today.
Joining Quick and Owsinski in the women's vault was junior Kaitlin Zinsli, who was added to the meet after a medical scratch. In her first ever West Prelim, Zinsli cleared the opening height of 12-5 ½ on her first attempt, but missed her three tries at the 12-11 bar. Freshman Emmy Engle was a late add to the field in the women's javelin, essentially coming in seeded No. 48, and she outpaced that today, finishing 36th overall with a throw of 137-feet, 6-inches, to cap her first year as a Dawg.
Redshirt freshman Connor Morello competed well in his first career West Prelims appearance, as he came in as the last entry in the field but ran much better than that. Morello, a Pac-12 finalist this season, ran a time of 1:51.73 to take sixth in his heat and 26th overall, a 22 spot improvement over his seeding.
Washington Track & Field
NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Day 1 of 3 – May 25, 2017
Austin, Texas – Mike A. Myers Stadium
Men's Results
800m (1st Round, heat 1 of 6): 6. Connor Morello, 1:51.73.
1,500m (1st Round, heat 1 of 4): 9. Johnathan Stevens, 4:01.31; (1st Round, heat 4 of 4): 8. Blake Nelson, 3:59.24.
Javelin: 21. Carson Fuller, 207-11; 24. Denham Patricelli, 205-9.
Women's Results
100m (1st Round, heat 5 of 6): 6. Kennadi Bouyer, 11.53.
400m (1st Round, heat 2 of 6): 3. Laura Anuakpado, 53.73 (Advances to Quarters).
800m (1st Round, heat 2 of 6): 3. Hannah Derby, 2:10.17 (Advances to Quarters).
10,000m (Semifinal): 10. Izzi Batt-Doyle, 34:54.88 (Advances to Eugene); 28. Kaylee Flanagan, 36:07.03
400m Hurdles (1st Round, heat 3 of 6): 4. Darhian Mills, 59.82 (Advances to Quarters).
1,500m (1st Round, heat 3 of 4): 2. Amy-Eloise Neale, 4:28.59 (Advances to Quarters).
Pole Vault: 8. Elizabeth Quick, 14-1 ¼ (Advances To Eugene); 10. Kristina Owsinski, 14-1 ¼ (Advances To Eugene); 39 (tie). Kaitlin Zinsli, 12-5 ½.
Hammer: 25. Onyie Chibuogwu, 191-9.
Javelin: 36. Emmy Engle, 137-6.
Players Mentioned
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Thr
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Mid-Dist
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Dist
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Thr
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Spr/Hur
/ Track & Field
Mid-Dist
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Dist
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Mid-Dist
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PV
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Thr
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PV
/ Track & Field
Mid-Dist
/ Track & Field
PV
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