Huskies Post Most NCAA Prelim Qualifiers Ever

May 16, 2019 | Track & Field

Complete Women's Entries Complete Men's Entries

By: UW Athletic Communications

*Sam Richmond has been added to the long jump field following a scratch and the story has been updated*

SEATTLE – Husky track and field will be sending its largest group ever to the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, as a total of 42 Huskies will compete from May 23-25 in Sacramento, Calif. for spots at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.

Sacramento State hosts the NCAA West Preliminary Championships for the second straight season. The top-48 athletes from the western half of the country, in every individual event, and top-24 relays, will compete over one or two rounds in Sacramento to try and finish in the top-12. Those that place in the top-12 continue on to the NCAA Outdoor final site in Austin, Texas from June 5-8.

The record number of 42 Huskies make up a total of 45 entries. Washington's previous high for entries under the current format, which dates to 2010, was 38 entries back in 2013. The Huskies made a major improvement in one year's time, going from 25 entries last season to 44 this year.

On the men's side, the Huskies have 25 entries, including at least one entry in every individual running event save for the 110m hurdles.

Junior Khalil Winfrey has qualified for the first time in the 100-meter dash and sophomore Kemuel Santana is in the 200-meter field coming off a seventh-place Pac-12 finish. Sophomore Evan Mafilas made the cut in both the 200m and 400-meters.

Connor Morello and Devan Kirk are both in the mix at 800-meters. In the 1,500-meters, Mick Stanovsek and Nate Beamer are set to run.

The Huskies have three in the steeplechase, all of who scored at the Pac-12 Championships. Julius Diehr, Alex Slenning, and Nick Laccinole are all heading to their first West Prelims.

Fred Huxham is in the 5,000-meters field and in the 10k the Dawgs have Pac-12 fourth-place finish Tibebu Proctor and Andrew Snyder.

Freshman Cass Elliott posted the No. 4 time in school history in the 400-meters at Pac-12s and will make his West Prelim debut. Elliott will also run on the 4x400m relay, which got the last spot to Prelims with its season-best time run at Pac-12s. Elliott, Santana, Mafilas, and Jason Palmer will make up that squad.

In the jumps, Chase Smith goes in the pole vault looking for his first trip to NCAA Outdoors. Sam Richmond was originally the first one out in the men's long jump with his PR of 24-3 but after a scratch, he is now the last one in, joining the group after the initial fields were announced. In the triple jump Pac-12 bronze medalist Jaylen Taylor has qualified for his first Prelims.

Five men's throwers qualified, three in the javelin, as Pac-12 runner-up Denham Patricelli returns to the first round along with sophomore Jacob Wachtendonk and freshman Zach Annanie. Pac-12 Champion Elijah Mason makes his debut along with Jonah Wilson, who was top-five in both the shot and discus at Pac-12s and will throw both at Prelims.

The women have 20 entries including three each in the 1,500-meters and the 400-meter hurdles, and one entry in all four throwing events.

In the 800-meters, seniors Hannah Derby and Nicole Goecke look to extend their seasons one round at a time. Katie Rainsberger, Allie Schadler, and Anna Maxwell all made the Pac-12 final at 1,500-meters and are set to contend for top-12 spots in Sacramento.

Emily Hamlin broke through with a top-12 finish in the steeplechase in Sacramento last year and the Pac-12 runner-up will look to repeat that feat. Joining her in the steeplechase for the first time at Prelims will be Shona McCulloch, who ran an 18-second PR at Pac-12s to make the field. Hamlin is also entered in the 5,000-meters.

Pac-12 Champion Izzi Batt-Doyle will look to go top-12 in the 10k, which she did last in 2017. Kaitlyn Neal will also run the 10k for the second straight year at Prelims.

In the hurdles, Hannah Rusnak will run the 100-meter hurdles coming off a sixth-place finish at Pac-12s. Rusnak will automatically make NCAAs in the heptathlon.

Darhian Mills, Carly Lester, and Moganne Hill are all ranked in the top-25 in the 400-meter hurdles, Mills now ranked No. 6 after her PR at Pac-12s.

Pole vaulters Olivia Gruver and Annika Dayton look to clear the West Prelim bars between them and Austin.

In the throws, senior Onyie Chibuogwu is set for the hammer, senior Katherine Taylor has made her first javelin field with her late season breakthrough, and Angel Nkwonta and Ginny Mehl have qualified for the first time in the shot put and the discus, respectively.

2019 NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Men's Qualifiers
Zach Annanie – Javelin
Nate Beamer – 1500m
Julius Diehr – 3000m Steeplechase
Cass Elliott – 400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay
Fred Huxham – 5000m
Devan Kirk – 800m
Nick Laccinole – 3000m Steeplechase
Evan Mafilas – 200m, 400m, 4x400m Relay
Elijah Mason – Discus
Connor Morello – 800m
Jason Palmer – 4x400m Relay
Denham Patricelli - Javelin
Tibebu Proctor – 10000m
Sam Richmond – Long Jump
Kemuel Santana – 200m, 4x400m Relay
Alex Slenning – 3000m Steeplechase
Chase Smith – Pole Vault
Andrew Snyder – 10000m
Mick Stanovsek – 1500m
Jaylen Taylor – Triple Jump
Jacob Wachtendonk – Javelin
Jonah Wilson – Shot Put, Discus
Khalil Winfrey – 100m

Women's Qualifiers
Izzi Batt-Doyle – 10000m
Onyie Chibuogwu – Hammer
Annika Dayton – Pole Vault
Hannah Derby – 800m
Nicole Goecke – 800m
Olivia Gruver – Pole Vault
Emily Hamlin – 3000m Steeplechase, 5000m
Morganne Hill – 400m Hurdles
Carly Lester – 400m Hurdles
Anna Maxwell – 1500m
Shona McCulloch – 3000m Steeplechase
Ginny Mehl – Discus
Darhian Mills – 400m Hurdles
Kaitlyn Neal – 10000m
Angel Nkwonta – Shot Put
Katie Raisnberger – 1500m
Hannah Rusnak – 100m Hurdles
Allie Schadler – 1500m
Katherine Taylor – Javelin