Steeplechasers PR Their Way To Nationals

Friday, May 25

Sacramento, CA

All Day

University of Washington

NCAA West Preliminaries

May 25, 2018 | Track & Field

Live Results West Prelims Schedule Flotrack Live Stream

By: UW Athletic Communications

NCAA West Preliminary Championships
May 24-26 | Sacramento, Calif. | Hornet Stadium

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Washington notched its first two qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships tonight, getting one each in the men's and women's steeplechase. Right after senior Andrew Gardner sprinted away to a quarterfinal victory in the third-fastest time in school history, junior Emily Hamlin dropped a stunning 20-second PR to also run the No. 3 mark ever at UW, placing 11th overall and joining Gardner on the road to Eugene.

The runs for Gardner and Hamlin were the major highlights of the second day of NCAA West Preliminaries, which wraps up on Saturday at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium. Washington had a couple more near misses today with Hanna Tarleton and Annika Dayton finishing 15th, and 16th, in their events, coming up just short of the top-12 finish needed to reach the NCAA final site in Eugene on June 6-9.

Gardner ran between third and fifth in his heat for nearly the entire race, until making a decisive move with 250-meters to go where he surged into the lead and completely pulled away from the rest of the field, crossing the line in 8:38.79, a PR by six seconds that moved him from eighth to third on the Husky top-10 list. It was the fastest steeple by a Husky since the school record of 8:32.27 was set by Dan Bell in 1987. Gardner will be going to the NCAA semis for the second time, making it last in 2016.

After his thrilling 60-second final lap, Gardner said, "Right now I'm really fit. Honestly it was the easiest lap I've ran in a long time. I felt really comfortable, so it was great, I'm just happy. I'm excited to be in Eugene representing Washington and hopefully taking it to the very end."

ANDREW IS HEADED TO EUGENE!! He blows away the competition with a major kick over the last 200 meters to win in a six second PR of 8:38.79?? pic.twitter.com/EoD7d8Ak0V
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) May 26, 2018

Hamlin came into the Prelims seeded 23rd overall with her season-best time of 10:20.49. But the pace continued to be fast as it had in the previous steeple heats thanks in part to a cool night in Sacramento. Hamlin, who just picked up the event in early April and had run it three times coming into tonight, continues to excel through the water pit, and she consistently made up big time on her competition at that aspect of the race. Hamlin needed to finish fourth or better with a time of at least 10:05, and she easily managed that, coming in fourth in 10:00.35 to punch her ticket.

Hamlin's time also moves her up to No. 3 in school history. She had a dozen family members on hand cheering her on as well.

"This is the first time my family has seen me run the steeple, so to get a big PR like that was really exciting. I still need to wrap my brain around it," said Hamlin. "I couldn't believe it when i crossed the line and they said I was going to Eugene. There were so many emotions. (Interim Head Coach Jason Drake) told me the times from the first heat were pretty fast, so I had it in my head that I just wanted to PR and I'd be happy with that. I had no idea that I was going to run 10-flat. A twenty second PR, I'll take it. It's special."

10:00.35!!! EMILY IS ALSO GOING TO NATTYS!!! #SteepleChased pic.twitter.com/fS1OWUOTfL
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) May 26, 2018

In the women's pole vault, sophomore Annika Dayton and senior Tori Franzen both made their West Prelim debuts. Franzen did not clear the first height and saw her Husky career wrap up after the best season of her career. Dayton was first in the order and cleared 12-4 ¾ and 12-10 ¾ both on first attempts. Dayton then had a second attempt clearance at 13-4 ½ as 18 women were still alive after that height. With the bar going to 13-8 ½, Dayton needed one more bar to get through to Eugene but she didn't find it today, missing her three tries and settling for 16th-place after coming in tied for 18th.

Senior Hanna Tarleton and sophomore Morganne Hill were a race away from Eugene in the 400-meter hurdles today but were unable to crack the top-12, despite outperforming their seedings. Hill got off to a good start but got crossed up on a couple hurdles midway around the track and came in eighth in her heat in 1:00.58. Tarleton had a tough lane one lane assignment, and ran another quick time of 58.46 seconds, but that was just seventh in her heat. Tarleton's time was 15th overall while Hill finished 24th, after they came in ranked 20th and 42nd, respectively.

Final homestretch for Hanna pic.twitter.com/pR1yF4r8vl
— Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) May 26, 2018

Connor Morello took on the 800-meters for the second day in a row, running in the quarterfinals. He gave it his all but ran out of gas with 200 to go and placed eighth in his heat and 23rd overall in 1:52.27. Still it was a big improvement on his seeding as he came in ranked 39th.

Also well outperforming his entry seed was sophomore Jose Padilla in the discus. Padilla went 173-6 on his first attempt to lead for much of the first flight, and then threw 173-10 on his final throw which was second in the flight of 16 and wound up placing him 22nd overall. Padilla came into the week ranked 34th.

Saturday will finish things up for the Huskies with the men's javelin first at 12 noon with Denham Patricelli and Jacob Wachtendonk. The men's 4x100m relay will run at 6 p.m. and the Huskies will then have Allie Schadler in the 1,500-meters, Colby Gilbert and Gavin Parpart in the men's 5k, Amy-Eloise Neale in the women's 5k, and then both men's and women's 4x400m relays.

NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Day 2 of 3 | May 25, 2018
Sacramento, Calif. | Hornet Stadium

Men's Results
800m, Quarterfinal (Heat 2 of 3): 8. Connor Morello, 1:52.27,
3,000m Steeplechase, Quarterfinal (Heat 3 of 3): 1. Andrew Gardner, 8:38.79 (Advances to Nationals)
Discus: 22. Jose Padilla, 173-10.

Women's Results
3,000m Steeplechase, Quarterfinal (Heat 3 of 3): 4. Emily Hamlin, 10:00.35 (Advances to Nationals)
400m Hurdles, Quarterfinal (Heat 1 of 3): 8. Morganne Hill, 1:00.58; (Heat 2 of 3): 7. Hanna Tarleton, 58.46.
Pole Vault: 16. Annika Dayton, 13-4 ½; -- Tori Franzen, NH