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NCAA Track & Field West Prelims: 39 Pac-12 student-athletes book tickets to Nationals

by Jocelyn Perry
May 26, 2017
Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

Pac-12 student-athletes headed back to the track for day two of the 2017 NCAA West Preliminaries hosted by the University of Texas in Austin. With the country split between West Prelims and East Prelims, student-athletes with the top 12 times/marks and the best 12 relay teams at both the East and West Preliminary Rounds sites will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 7-10.

Check back Saturday for running recaps of West Preliminary competition.

Since there are no multis in preliminary competition, the top 24 decathlon and heptathlon marks in the nation earn an automatic berth to Eugene.

39 student-athletes from the Pac-12 punched their tickets to Eugene today with Oregon and USC leading the way with 11 entries in nationals each. Highlighting the second day of competition was the women’s 400-meter quarterfinals. Six Pac-12 student-athletes were entered in today's quarterfinals and all six advanced through to nationals. The Pac-12 is set up well for the big stage, as a quarter of all participants at nationals will hail from the Conference of Champions.

400 Meters: USC’s Kendall Ellis paced the pack with a school-record 50.45 to place first overall in the West. Fellow Trojan Cameron Pettigrew (51.83) will join Ellis with her sixth-best overall time. Three Ducks will return home to compete for the 400 crown. Mackenzie Dunmore (51.75) and Elexis Guster (51.78) finished in fourth and fifth overall, while teammate Ashante Horsley qualified through on time with her 52.84. Rounding out the Pac-12 representation is Washington’s Laura Anuakpado, whose 53-flat qualified on time and set the Husky record.

On the men’s side in the single-lap-sprint race, USC qualified two athletes through with freshman Michael Norman (45.38) and Ricky Morgan, Jr., (45.44). Joining the pair is Oregon’s Marcus Chambers, as the senior stopped the clock in 45.03 to place third overall.

Women's 100m: Two of Oregon’s trio of short sprinters advanced to nationals in the women’s 100. Deajah Stevens clocked the fastest time in the West, a 10.89w. Teammate Ariana Washington ran a wind-legal 11.08 to place fourth overall, while Hannah Cunliffe scratched both the 100- and 200-meters. USC would add two sprinters to the mix, with Deanna Hill’s 11.06w and Ky Westbrook’s 11.27w.

Men's 100m: Oregon knocked through two on the men’s side in the same distance, with Kyree King and Damarcus Simpson. King clocked a 9.98 while Simpson a 10.04, both wind aided.

800m: Four women advanced through in the women’s 800m. Oregon’s defending NCAA champion Raevyn Rogers (2:05.72) and teammate Brooke Feldmeier (2:04.82) will represent the Ducks. Also advancing in the two-lap race is Stanford’s Olivia Baker, the fastest Pac-12 racer in the event with a 2:04.55. UCLA’s Julia Rizk rounded out the qualifiers with a 2:05.02. USC’s Robert Ford was the lone advancer in the men’s 800, as his 1:47.58 placed seventh overall for a ticket to Eugene.

 

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Women's 400 Hurdles: Arizona’s Sage Watson dazzled with her top overall performance in the 400 meter hurdles. Her 56.13 earned her a spot to nationals. USC’s Anna Cockrell (56.37) and Amalie Iuel (56.87) also were good for a ticket to Eugene.

Men's 400 Hurdles: CJ Allen will represent Washington State in the men’s 400 hurdles, as his 49.4 was good for fourth overall. Joining him is UCLA’s Rai Benjamin who placed second overall in 48.91.

Women's Discus: Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen went 2-for-2 so far at preliminaries. The junior booked her second ticket to Eugene, today in the discus. Ewen placed third with a hurl of 58.48m/191-10 on her only attempt.

Men's Pole Vault: Arizona State’s Garrett Starkey booked his ticket with a sixth place finish in the pole vault, clearing a height of 5.35m/ 17-6 ½. Oregon’s Cole Walsh will represent the Ducks and the Pac-12 in the men’s pole vault at nationals. He placed 10th overall with a clearance of 5.35m/17-6 ½.

Women's High Jump: Coming from the Old Pueblo, vertical jumpers Karla Teran and Lisanne Hagens will head to Eugene in the high jump. Junior Hagens tied for first with a 1.79m/5-10 ½ clearance. Wildcat teammate Teran cleared 1.74m/5-8 ½ for the 12th and final spot to nationals.

Men's Shot Put: Four Pac-12ers booked their tickets to Hayward Field in the men’s shot put. USC’s duo of Nicholas Ponzio and Matthew Katnik advanced with throws of 19.43m/63-9 and 19.12m/62-8 ¾, respectively. Arizona’s Aaron Castle advanced with his eighth-place finish with a mark of 18.72m/61-5. Rounding out the shotputters is 2017 Pac-12 Champion Peter Simon out of California. Simon placed sixth overall with a distance of 18.91m/62-0 ½.

3,000m Steeplechase: No day two could be capped without the steeple people taking the track. Colorado freshman and 2017 Pac-12 Champion Madison Boreman clocked a 10:11.70 in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase to book her ticket to Eugene.

Joining her will be freshman teammate Sage Hurta, whose 10:17.67 auto-qualified for nationals. Utah’s Grayson Murphy had a strong showing in the field, placing second overall in a 10:04.35.

On the men's side, Arizona's Bailey Roth auto-qualifed with his first-place finish in the first heat in 8:50.76. Joining Roth will be UCLA senior Austin O'Neil, who qualified on time with a 8:52.50 performance.

16 tracksters advanced through to Saturday's quarterfinals in the women’s 100 hurdles, men’s 110 hurdles, and the men’s and women’s 200m.

100 Hurdles: Oregon’s Alaysha Johnson (12.68) and Sasha Wallace (13.14) advanced, while USC’s Anna Cockrell and Dior Hall both finished in 13 flat to advance through for fourth and fifth overall, respectively. Arizona State’s Deshaunda Morrison continues her quest to Eugene, recording a 13.18 to advance on time and clock a PR.

On the men’s side, California’s Ashtyn Davis qualified for quarters in the men’s 110 hurdles with his fourth-overall time of 13.67. Joining Davis is Jaron Thomas (13.86, Colorado), Misana Viltz (13.88, UCLA) and Braxton Canady (14.03, Oregon).

200 Meters: Oregon women’s duo of Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington head to the quaterfinals in the women’s 200m. Stevens clocked a 22.31w for first overall and Washington followed suit with a 22.55w for second overall. Deanna Hill out of USC will join the pair with her 22.66 for fifth.

The men’s half-lap sprint will see Oregon’s Kyree King (20.49w), USC’s Just'N Thymes (20.78) and Christian Sourapas (20.73) and UCLA’s Leon Powell (20.75).

The third and final day of West Prelims begins Saturday at 11 a.m. PT with the men’s discus.

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