Ducks Leaving Texas With 24 Qualifiers

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Oregon track and field team collected 16 national qualifiers on the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary at E.B. Cushing Stadium. During the four-day meet, the Ducks advanced 24—15 men, nine women—to the NCAA Championships (June 9-12) at Hayward Field in Eugene.
 
The men's running events were added to Saturday's program after inclement weather postponed action from day three. The revised schedule began at 9:30 a.m. (PT) with the men's 4x100-meter relay.
 
Advancing to the NCAA Championships
MEN (15)
Reed Brown – 1,500 meters
Isaiah Griffith – triple jump
Jonathan Harvey – 400m hurdles
Cole Hocker – 1,500 meters
Cole Hocker – 5,000 meters
Charlie Hunter – 800 meters
Emmanuel Ihemeje – triple jump
Jackson Mestler - steeplechase
Luis Peralta – 800 meters
Dalton Rasmussen – javelin
Cooper Teare – 5,000 meters
Max Vollmer – decathlon
James West – 1,500 meters
Micah Williams – 100 meters
Micah Williams/Gaston Bouchereau/Rieker Daniel/Jacoby McNamara – 4x100m relay
 
The UO men racked up four qualifiers in the first two events of the day, beginning with the 4x100-meter team of Micah Williams, Gaston Bouchereau, Rieker Daniel and Jacoby McNamara. The UO quartet finished third in heat three in 39.30 to secure an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships. That time ranks No. 8 in UO history.
 
The Ducks will have three men in the 1,500 meters with Cole Hocker, James West and Reed Brown all running to top-five finishes in the first of two heats Saturday. Hocker was the top-overall qualifier in 3:38.29 while West and Brown both recorded season bests of 3:38.96 and 3:39.29, respectively. Brown previously advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2019.
 
After his lead-off leg with the 4x100, Williams was back on the track with a personal-best 10.00 performance that tied the No. 2 mark (with Kyree King) in program history. Williams, the NCAA indoor champion at 60 meters, came into the meet with a 100-meter best of 10.03 from the Desert Heat Classic in early May. The Portland native was the top-overall qualifier and broke the E.B. Cushing Stadium facility record.
 
The Men of Oregon added two more national qualifiers in the 800 meters with Charlie Hunter and Luis Peralta. Hunter, the NCAA indoor champion in the event, crossed in 1:47.65 and was the third-fastest qualifier. Peralta (1:47.82) finished just behind his teammate in heat two and qualified sixth overall. These are the NCAA qualifiers at 800 meters for the UO men since Boru Guyota in 2014.
 
For the third time in his career, Jonathan Harvey advances to the NCAA Championships and for the second time, he'll be competing in the 400-meter hurdles. He recorded a personal-best time of 49.83 to tie the No. 2 mark in Oregon history (Bob Gray – 1992). Harvey was a national qualifier in the hurdles in 2019; his first appearance in 2018 was as a member of the Ducks' 4x400-meter relay.
 
Eugene native Jackson Mestler will compete for a national title at Hayward Field after securing a top-three heat finish in the steeplechase. The Pac-12 champion in the event crossed the finish line in 8:39.23, the fourth-fastest time during the qualifying round. Mestler qualifies for his first-career appearance at the NCAA Championships.
 
Hocker notched his second qualifier of the day with a runner-up finish in the opening heat of the 5,000 meters. He ran a time of 13:57.02, easing across the line alongside Luis Grijalva of Northern Arizona. Hocker will be joined by teammate Cooper Teare (13:52.94) who was the fourth-overall qualifier in Saturday's semifinal round. Teare is set for his third-career NCAA appearance in the 5,000 meters.
 
Notable: Jack Yearian knocked more than a second off his PR with a time of 3:41.45 in heat two of the 1,500m; finished 16th overall … Jacoby McNamara (20.66) tied his lifetime best in the 200m; finished 13th overall …
 
Advancing to NCAA Championships
WOMEN (9)
Carmela Cardama Baez – 10,000m
Rhesa Foster – long jump
Alysah Hickey – long jump
Aneta Konieczek – steeplechase
Kemba Nelson – 100 meters
Lauri Paredes – javelin
Jasmin Reed – 100 meters
Dominique Ruotolo – triple jump
Jadyn Mays/Kemba Nelson/Jasmin Reed/Danyel White – 4x100m relay
 
In the first women's result of the day, the 4x100-meter team of Jadyn Mays, Kemba Nelson, Jasmin Reed and Danyel White combined for a time of 42.94 to win the second heat and advance to the national meet. On the anchor leg, White erased a small deficit to get the Ducks across the line in first ahead of Texas.  
 
The UO women grabbed another qualifier in Dominique Ruotolo in the triple jump. She secured her spot at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 13.38m/43-10.75 in the opening round. Ruotolo, a national indoor qualifier as well, was the Pac-12 champion in the event with a PR of 13.66m/44-9.75 from the conference meet.
 
Aneta Konieczek ran her way to a spot at the national meet, recording the sixth-fastest qualifying time in the steeplechase. She becomes the first UO woman to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the event since the 2014 season (Megan Patrignelli). Konieczek crossed the line in 9:49.96 to finish third in her heat, good for an automatic bid to Eugene.
 
Nelson and Reed returned from their duties with the 4x100-meter relay to collect individual qualifiers at 100 meters. Nelson followed her wind-aided 10.91 from Thursday's prelims with a new personal best of 10.98, the fourth-fastest performance in UO history. She becomes the fifth UO woman to run sub-11 with a legal wind, joining the star-studded list featuring Jasmine Todd, Jenna Prandini, English Gardner and Hannah Cunliffe.
 
For the second time in her career, Reed advances to the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters. She posted a time of 11.41 to grab one of the three at-large qualifiers. Reed previously competed at the national meet as a freshman in 2018. In her third race of the day, Reed clocked a season-best time of 23.26 in the 200 meters. She finished 15th in the event while White (23.18) just missed a qualifying spot in 13th place.
 
Notable: Mia Moerck lowered her personal best in the 800 meters to 2:06.47; finished 19th overall …
 
NCAA West Preliminary (Day 4)
College Station, Texas
MEN
100 Meters – quarterfinals
1. Micah Williams – 10.00 (PR) [t-No. 2 UO] – Q
22. Gaston Bouchereau – 10.55
23. Xavier Nairne – 10.64
 
200 Meters – quarterfinals
13. Jacoby McNamara – 20.66 (=PR)
22. Rieker Daniel – 21.18
 
800 Meters – quarterfinals
3. Charlie Hunter – 1:47.65 – Q
6. Luis Peralta – 1:47.82 – Q
15. Matt Wisner – 1:49.46
 
1,500 Meters – quarterfinals
1. Cole Hocker – 3:38.29 – Q
3. James West – 3:38.96 (SB) – Q
4. Reed Brown – 3:39.29 (SB) – Q
16. Jack Yearian – 3:41.45 (PR)
 
5,000 Meters – semifinals
4. Cooper Teare – 13:52.94 – Q
9. Cole Hocker – 13:57.02 - Q
33. Jack Yearian – 14:29.79
 
400m Hurdles - quarterfinals
x. Jonathan Harvey – 49.83 (PR) [t-No. 2 UO] – Q
 
3,000m Steeplechase – quarterfinals
4. Jackson Mestler – 8:39.23 – Q
--. Steven Neumaier – DNF
 
4x100m Relay – quarterfinals
8. Williams/Bouchereau/Daniel/McNamara – 39.30 [No. 8 UO] – Q
 
WOMEN
100 Meters – quarterfinals
2. Kemba Nelson – 10.98 (PR) [No. 4 UO] – Q
12. Jasmin Reed – 11.41 – Q
16. Danyel White – 11.48
21. Jadyn Mays – 11.57
 
200 Meters – quarterfinals
13. Danyel White – 23.18
15. Jasmin Reed – 23.26 (SB)
 
800 Meters – quarterfinals
19. Mia Moerck – 2:06.47 (PR)
 
5,000 Meters – semifinals
17. Alessia Zarbo – 16:18.21
--. Hannah Reinhardt – DNF
 
400m Hurdles – quarterfinals
20. Alexa Webster – 59.57
 
3,000m Steeplechase – quarterfinals
6. Aneta Konieczek – 9:49.96 – Q
 
4x100m Relay – quarterfinals
2. Mays/Nelson/Reed/White – 42.94 – Q
 
Triple Jump – first round
8. Dominique Ruotolo – 13.38m/43-10.75 – Q
17. Jaimie Robinson – 13.02m/42-8.75
18. Lexi Ellis – 12.99m/42-7.5
 
Discus – first round
13. 54.30m/178-2
 
Q – advances to NCAA Championships (Eugene, Ore.)
 
For more news and information about Oregon Track and Field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.