SACRAMENTO, Calif. โ The most decorated seniors on the Husky track squad and the two fastest 5k runners in school history both kept their NCAA dreams alive tonight by advancing through the West Preliminary Championships. Colby Gilbert and Amy-Eloise Neale will now wrap their collegiate careers in the NCAA finals at Hayward Field, after posting fast times and top-five finishes at Hornet Stadium.
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Gilbert and Neale join steeplechasers Emily Hamlin and Andrew Gardner, who qualified on Friday, to make a Husky quartet advancing to Eugene for the finals on June 6-9.
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Gilbert punched his ticket to the 5k final for the first time since 2016, running a smart race that saw him solidly in the top-ten throughout then moving up into the top-five in the latter stages when a top-five spot was needed to advance. Gilbert pulled away in a group of three over the final two laps and finished third in 13:49.90.
"The plan was just to move through the field and navigate traffic and be in position at the end to run hard to the line," said Gilbert, who didn't let the potential of it being his final collegiate race affect him. "I was nervous about not being focused enough, but I knew as long as I was focused I could get the job done. I was a little nervous with a mile to go because there were still a lot of people around and extra traffic, but I stayed patient.ย I'm stoked (to be going back to Nationals). It's about going there and being the best me and walking away proud."
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Colby is headed back to Nationals!! ???? he takes third in 13:49.90 and will end his Husky career in the NCAA final! pic.twitter.com/kNsNHohdpo
โ Washington Track & Field (@UWTrack) May 27, 2018
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Neale earned a third-straight trip to the NCAA finals, but her first in the 5k after making the 1,500-meter final the past two years. She was running in sixth-place after the halfway point in the race, keeping her eye on the leaders. The 2017 NCAA Cross Country runner-up then moved up into fourth going into the final lap and would hold off a couple chasers to finish fourth in 15:29.89. That is the second-fastest time of her career, giving her the top-two times in school history after her school record of 15:24.16 set last month.
"I definitely felt better than I had recently and I think it's a great race to build on for NCAAs," said Neale.ย "It's nice to have another sub-15:30 under my belt to give me a little more confidence. I'm relieved to get the job done. As much as I've gained a lot of confidence over the past couple years, it's still really nervewrackingย when there's a lot hanging on a qualifying race. I was happy I stayed composed beforehand and stuck to my race plan. It's really exciting going to NCAAs in a new event. I have a lot of respect now for these 5k/10k girls because it's a whole different beast. But I'm excited to challenge myself some more and see what I can go do at nationals."
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In the heat before Gilbert's run, redshirt freshman Gavin Parpart had one of the best races of his young career. Seeded just 41st coming in, the Kenmore, Wash. native nearly broke the 14-minute mark for the first time, as he was ninth in his 24-man heat in 14:00.78, a new PR.
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The three-day meet was finished off by the Husky 4x400-meter relays, which both ran right at their season-bests. First up was the men's crew of Kemuel Santana, Evan Mafilas, Michael Thomas, and Ryan Croson. The Dawgs finished 21st overall after coming in ranked 24th, running 3:08.91, just a tenth of a second off their season-best. It was the final run for Thomas, who has been a stalwart on the top UW relays the past several seasons and reached a Pac-12 400-meter final in 2017.
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The women then came within just two spots of advancing to the NCAA final site for the second year in a row. A slightly adjusted order went with Hanna Tarleton leading off, then Imani Apostol, Carolyn Birkenfeld, and Iman Brown. The group took fourth in their heat in a time of 3:38.03 that matched exactly their season-best time posted just two weeks ago at Pac-12s. That group, including the last runs for Tarleton and Birkenfeld, will finish as the third-fastest 4x4 in school history.
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The women's 4x4 of Iman Brown, Carolyn Birkenfeld, Imani Apostol, and Hanna Tarletonย ran 3:38.03 to finish as the third-fastest foursome in UW history.
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The day began with two Dawgs in the men's javelin. Junior Denham Patricelli was consistent but couldn't find a big throw today as he went 212-1, then 211-4, and 212-7 and he wound up finishing 19th overall after coming into the meet ranked 22nd. Redshirt freshman Jacob Wachtendonk had a good third throw but stepped over the line for a foul and his best was just 183-7 to finish 47th.
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The men's 4x100m relay was the 22nd team out of 24 coming into the meet but finished 14th overall today with a time of 40.50 seconds. Kevin Liu, Kemuel Santana, Ryan Croson, and Khalil Winfrey got the stick around, just two spots short of advancing to Eugene.
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Freshman Allie Schadler saw her successful freshman campaign come to a close today as she couldn't hang on to a quick pace after a couple laps of the 1,500-meters quarterfinal. Schadler finished 11th in her heat and 22nd overall in a time of 4:27.31.
ย NCAA West Preliminary Championships Day 3 of 3 | May 26, 2018 Sacramento, Calif. | Hornet Stadium
ย Men's Results 5,000m, Semifinal (Heat 1 of 2): 9. Gavin Parpart, 14:00.78; (Heat 2 of 2): 3. Colby Gilbert, 13:49.90 (Advances to Nationals) 4x100m Relay, Quarterfinal (Heat 3 of 3): 6. Liu/Santana/Croson/Winfrey, 40.50 4x400m Relay, Quarterfinal (Heat 2 of 3): 7. Santana/Mafilas/Thomas/Croson, 3:08.91 Javelin: 19. Denham Patricelli, 212-7; 47. Jacob Wachtendonk, 183-7
ย Women's Results 1,500m, Quarterfinal (Heat 2 of 2): 11. Allie Schadler, 4:27.31 5,000m, Semifinal (Heat 1 of 2): 4. Amy-Eloise Neale, 15:29.89 (Advances to Nationals) 4x400m Relay, Quarterfinal (Heat 3 of 3): 4. Tarleton/Apostol/Birkenfeld/Brown, 3:38.03
ย Advancing to NCAA Championships in Eugene Andrew Gardner, 3,000m Steeplechase Emily Hamlin, 3,000m Steeplechase Colby Gilbert, 5,000m Amy-Eloise Neale, 5,000m
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