Nine Huskies Make NCAA Indoor Field
Complete Men's Qualifiers | Complete Women's Qualifiers | Meet Information
SEATTLE – Even with just three home meets and a limited number of opponents to push them, the Husky track and field squad still managed to get nine athletes qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, as the fields were announced this evening. The nine Huskies comprise seven entries over the three-day meet, set for Mar. 11-13.
The University of Arkansas will be hosting the championships at its Randal Tyson Track Center. Live championship coverage will be streamed on ESPN3. Additional details on times of the live ESPN3 coverage will be forthcoming. A re-air of the meet will take place Sunday, March 14 on ESPNU starting at 9 p.m. Eastern. To access the live stream, visit ESPN3.com.
It's a full circle moment for the collegiate track and field world, as it was one year ago when the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships were canceled one day before the start of competition due to the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Huskies have a mix of veterans and fresh faces on their way to Fayetteville. On the women's side, Katie Rainsberger is qualified for her fourth NCAA Indoor meet. She was seventh in the mile back in 2019 and was a 3,000-meters and DMR qualifier in 2020. This year it's back to the mile for Rainsberger, who looks to add to her 11 career All-America honors. She earned her spot with a big season-best mile run of 4:38.15 at the Husky Classic.
Allie Schadler is the only other Husky who was in the 2020 field to book a return trip this season. Schadler is entered on the distance medley relay, which ran its qualifier back at the first meet of the season in January, and then is also seeded fifth in the 3,000-meters in 8:58.13. Schadler withdrew from consideration in the mile, where just this past weekend she posted the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Joining Schadler on the DMR will be Madison Heisterman, Marlena Preigh, and Kelly Makin, who all would be making their NCAA Indoor debuts. Listed as alternates for the DMR are Olivia Ribera and Haley Herberg.
The men qualified four, starting with sophomore Sam Tanner who just ran a 3:55.23 mile at the Husky Classic to earn his spot. Tanner's time was the fourth-fastest mile in the NCAA this season, but two athletes ahead of him chose to race other events, so Tanner is now seeded second going into his first NCAA track championship.
Senior Andrew Jordan made the 5,000-meters field. Jordan competed at the 2019 NCAA Indoor meet while at Iowa State, placing 12th in the 3,000-meters that year. Jordan's time of 13:44.70 puts him 14th in the field.
Washington will have throwers at NCAA Indoors this season for the first time since Elisa Bryant in 2009 and the first men in the field since Ben Lindsey in 1998. They checked off both events this year, as Jonah Wilson is set to go in the shot put and Jayden White entered in the weight throw.
Wilson redshirted the 2020 indoor season but competed in the shot put and discus at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He had a best indoor mark this season of 64-2 ¼.
White is one of two freshmen in the weight throw, which is typically dominated by upperclassmen. White and the other freshman are seeded 15th and 16th in the field of 16, so the new UW record-holder will go in with no pressure. The Everett, Wash. native broke Scott Neilson's 42-year-old school record last weekend with a launch of 71-8 ¼.
2021 NCAA Indoor Championship Qualifiers
Women
Name, Event (Seeding), Mark
Katie Rainsberger, Mile (11), 4:38.15
Allie Schadler, 3000m (5), 8:58.13
Heisterman/Preigh/Makin/Schadler, Distance Medley Relay (10), 11:06.66
Men
Name, Event (Seeding), Mark
Andrew Jordan, 5000m (14), 13:44.70
Sam Tanner, Mile (2), 3:55.23
Jayden White, Weight Throw (15), 21.85m
Jonah Wilson, Shot Put (13), 19.56m