Track and field at 2018 NCAA Western Regional (Sacramento, May 24-26)

[AztecBuff]

Best wishes to the team in Sacramento- hope MANY qualify!

Assume they'll be another one or two cubuff preview articles about the Regionals posted before they start in a week or so, but starting this thread now as the 1st article, about the list of Buff qualifiers, has been released.

Article - http://cubuffs.com/news/2018/5/18/c...-track-and-field-ncaa-west-preliminaries.aspx

"
CU Qualifies 25 Athletes for the Track and Field NCAA West Preliminaries`
Twenty-Five Buffaloes (16 women and 9 men) will compete in Sacramento next weekend

BOULDER – The qualifiers for next week's NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship preliminaries were announced Thursday, and the University of Colorado will be represented by 25 student-athletes.

The Buffaloes qualified 16 women and 9 men for the NCAA Division I West Preliminary competition, which will take place May 24-26 at California State University in Sacramento. Those that qualify in this event will move on to the national championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 6-9.

The 16 women are the most CU has qualified since the NCAA adopted regional and subsequently prelims in 2003 ahead of the national meet; the Buffs qualified 13 women on two occasions, last in 2011-12. The 25 combined between the programs are the second-most to 26 two years ago, when 14 men and 12 women advanced.

"Each year when this process begins, there are people that we know will advance and then there are people that we are wondering whether they will get in. We thought we knew last night for sure, but all of a sudden it was a little different this morning," CU head coach Mark Wetmore said.

"Michaela Wenning got in since last night in the high jump, and we got a couple guys through in the 200 that were close. In general we are going in with a few more people than I would've guessed a week ago, so that's good."

Many of the track and field athletes have qualified in more than one event.
...

For competition information, including the full list of participants and the meet schedule, visit:
http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/.


Buffalo Women's Entries (16):
400-meter hurdles: Eriana Henderson, Gabby Scott; 800-meter run: Elissa Mann; 1,500-meter run: Lucy May, Abigail Regner; 3,000-meter steeplechase: Val Constien, Sage Hurta; 5,000-meter run: Kaitlyn Benner, Erin Clark, Makena Morley; 10,000-meter run: Kaitlyn Benner, Erin Clark, Makena Morley, Melanie Nun; High Jump: Rajon O'Quinn, Michaela Wenning; Long Jump: Eriana Henderson; Hammer Throw: Elisa Grandemange; and the 4x400-meter relay team.

Buffalo Men's Entries (9):
110-meter hurdles: Alexander Billing; 200-meters: Jon Maas, Duane McClurkin, Jr.; 400-meter hurdles: Aaron McCoy; 1,500-meter run:Ben Saarel; 3,000-meter steeplechase: Adam Peterman; 5,000-meter run: Ryan Forsyth, Eduardo Herrera, Zach Perrin.
"
______________________________________________________________________

NCAA / rtspt track and field Championships homepage (includes preliminaries' links) - http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/

Sacramento Sports Commission homepage for the Preliminaries - http://www.sacsports.com/ncaatrack/

Schedule (Still listed as preliminary) - http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2018DIMWOTF_Preliminary_SOE_Sacramento_20180129.pdf

Entries (Declared athletes') lists -
Women's - http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/west_women_selected.htm
Men's - http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/west_men_selected.htm

Heat sheets/ start lists -
Women's - http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/west_women_start.htm
Men's - http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/west_men_start.htm

Video Streams (Only available for those who have a Flotrack premium subscription) - https://www.flotrack.org/events/6133945-2018-di-ncaa-west-preliminary-round

Live results (may also function as best updated schedules/ start lists, etc.) - https://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/track-field/results/d1/outdoor18/West/index.htm

 

[AztecBuff]

The official (I assume) preview article for the preliminaries, which start today, is now available - http://cubuffs.com/news/2018/5/23/track-and-field-buffs-set-for-ncaa-west-preliminaries.aspx

"
Buffs Set For NCAA West Preliminaries

By: Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor
Release: May 23, 2018

BOULDER — With 21 individuals (13 women and eight men) and one relay team entered, the Colorado track and field teams will be well-represented at this weekend's NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento, Calif.

It is the first step toward the June 6-9 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., and if all goes well, the Buffs could qualify a sizable contingent for the championships.

Of course, Colorado coach Mark Wetmore — now in his 23rd year at the Buffs' helm — has been around far too long to be making specific predictions. But, Wetmore did say earlier this week, "I think we can get between six and 10 through to the following week if we perform to our best abilities."

Each individual event at the prelims (the East meet will be contested in Tampa, Fla.) will have 48 entries, with the top 12 advancing to the championships.

The Buffs are sending a diverse group. Along with the regular group of distance specialists, Colorado also qualified a handful of sprinters, jumpers and throwers.
"Coach (Burke) Bockman is doing good work with the sprints and hurdles," Wetmore said. "We had some success there in 2017 on a conference level and I think he's taken another step. … We'll be good next year. Burke's penetrating that area in the Pac-12."

But when it comes to the athletes with the best chance of moving on to the championships, it is the Buffs distance runners who are ranked among the top qualifiers in their respective events.
...

The meet, held at Hornet Stadium and hosted by Sacramento State, begins Thursday and concludes Saturday.

For complete start lists, schedule and updated results, go to http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/

Colorado entrants in the NCAA West Preliminaries (West ranking in parentheses):

WOMEN
800 — Elissa Mann (14)
1,500 — Lucy May (40), Abigail Regner (44)
5,000 — Makena Morley (7), Kaitlyn Benner (12), Erin Clark (16)
10,000 — Kaitlyn Benner (5), Erin Clark (6), Makena Morley (15), Melanie Nun (21)
3,000 steeplechase — Sage Hurta (6), Valerie Constien (9)
4x400 relay — Colorado (23)
High jump — Michaela Wenning (44), Rajon O'Quinn (45)
Long jump — Eriana Henderson (38)
Hammer throw — Elisa Grandemange (34)

MEN
200 — Duane McClurkin Jr. (34), Jon Maas (42)
1,500 — Ben Saarel (12)
5,000 — Zach Perrin (5), Ryan Forsyth (13), Eduardo Herrera (30)
110 hurdles — Alexander Billing (33)
3,000 steeplechase — Adam Peterman (29)
"

 

[AztecBuff]

Overall solid results in the 1st day of events yesterday, with 3 Buffs advancing to nationals by finishing in the top 12 of the women's 10,000 meters, while 2 others advanced to 2nd rounds, in the women's 800M and men's 1500M, that will be held today and tomorrow, respectively.



Article - http://cubuffs.com/news/2018/5/25/t...lifies-three-athletes-for-ncaa-nationals.aspx

"
CU Qualifies Three Athletes for NCAA Nationals

By: Rosie Jeffery, Interim SID Assistant
Release: May 25, 2018

Three women are moving onto the NCAA Nationals after the first day of competition in West preliminaries

SACRAMENTO – The University of Colorado's track and field team sent 25 qualifying athletes here to compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship Preliminaries this weekend, with Thursday the first day of the three-day competition. Several athletes advanced to the next round.

Overall, the Buffaloes qualified 16 women and nine men for the NCAA Division I West Preliminary competition, a few of whom qualified for more than one event.

Elissa Mann finished second in her heat and 19th overall in the women's 800-meter run, clocking in at 2:08.16 and qualifying her for Friday's quarterfinals.

"Overall, today was about what we had hoped for, maybe a little better. Elissa Mann advanced tomorrow in the 800 with a gutsy race. It's very windy out here during the day and she took it out front all alone pulling the race in the wind, and it was a good move and got her through," head coach Mark Wetmore said.

Ben Saarel clocked in at 3:46.53 putting him in 11th place in the men's 1,500-meter run. "Also kind of a courageous race in difficult conditions and he got himself through to Saturday," Wetmore said. Saarel will race again on Saturday to determine if he qualifies for the NCAA Nationals.

Makena Morley, Erin Clark and Kaitlyn Benner finished sixth, seventh, and 10th, respectively, in the women's 10,000-meter run. They will all be moving forward to compete in the NCAA Championships in June.

"In the women's 10,000 meters we had three women advance, I think they were running pretty carefully. This is a strange meet because once you're in the top 12 that's all that matters, there is no prize for being first, second or third, and there's no point score, so honestly it's a matter of advancing as easily as you can, and in the 10,000 its never very easy," Wetmore said, "So they were being a little bit cagey and keeping their eyes on who was around them and what position they were in, and once they were in a group of 11 that had broken away, they had dialed it back a little bit to save some energy for two weeks from now."
...
"

(One negative- just looking at the results, probably the Buffs best chance at getting a non-distance runner into nationals (at least based on seeded marks) was 400M hurdler Gabby Scott, who was seeded #22 in her event. However, she shows as a DNF (Did not finish) in yesterday's 1st round. Hopefully nothing major for her.)

 

[AztecBuff]

 

[AztecBuff]

Sophomore Elissa Mann qualifies for nationals with (per the below) a personal record (PR) at the best time in the 800M.

 

[AztecBuff]

Buff junior Duane McClurkin Jr. makes tomorrow's 2nd round of the men's 200M on time, while senior Val Constien looks to have auto-qualified for nationals in the women's steeplechase by winning her heat with what I believe is a BIG PR (9:47.97).

 

[AztecBuff]

Article summarizing yesterday's action - http://cubuffs.com/news/2018/5/26/track-and-field-cu-has-successful-second-day-in-sacramento.aspx

"
CU has Successful Second Day in Sacramento

By: Rosie Jeffery, Interim SID Assistant
Release: May 25, 2018
Colorado advanced three more athletes in the preliminaries, Dani Jones advances to nationals in the women's 1,500

SACRAMENTO – The University of Colorado's track and field team continued their competition today in Sacramento, while Teammate Dani Jones was competing in Eugene in the Prefontaine Classic.

Elissa Mann punched her ticket to NCAA National Championships and earned a personal best in the women's 800-meter run. She finished in 10th place overall with a time of 2:03.96.

Val Constien also joined the herd of Buffaloes heading to Eugene, and won her heat in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. She ran a personal best of 9:47.97. Head coach Mark Wetmore said, "Val just ran a huge personal best advancing to nationals and winning her heat of the steeplechase, 9:48, that's one of our top four or five fastest times ever at Colorado."

On the men's side today, Duane McClurkin, Jr. finished third in his heat with a time of 21.25 and will advance to the next round in the 200-meter dash. He joins teammate Ben Saarel who is also advancing after his race in the men's 1,500-meter run yesterday.

Competition will continue tomorrow with the field events beginning at noon and the track events beginning at 6 p.m., Pacific time.

For competition information, including the live results and the meet schedule, visit:
http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/.
...
"

 

[AztecBuff]

Final article on the preliminaries which finished yesterday - http://cubuffs.com/news/2018/5/27/track-and-field-cu-advances-six-athletes-to-nationals.aspx

"
CU Advances Six Athletes to Nationals

By: Rosie Jeffery, Interim SID Assistant
Release: May 26, 2018

CU advanced five women and one man to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships

SACRAMENTO – The University of Colorado's track and field team closed out their weekend at NCAA West Preliminaries with an overall great performance and six athletes advancing to nationals.

Elisa Grandemange threw a personal best in the women's hammer with a distance of 195-10.00/59.71. "The day started with Elisa having a real nice throw in her flight in the hammer, a personal best," head coach Mark Wetmore said. "It's hard to come here in these circumstances pressure and a whole new level of competitors surrounding you and throwing your best. She did well and finished quite a bit higher than we would have predicted," .

In the women's 5,000-meter run, Erin Clark ran her fastest time ever finishing in 15:30.59 and advancing to Eugene for nationals. "Erin had a great day running her fastest 5k ever after running her fastest 10k ever," Wetmore said.

The women closed out the night with the 4x400 relay, racing their fastest time ever, but not quite fast enough to get through to Eugene. The women finished 20th overall with a time of 3:39.99.

On the men's side, Zach Perrin ran the men's 5,000 meters and will be advancing to nationals. "Zach advanced in the 5,000; it was tight, we had to wait for the second heat and watch the clock carefully, but he got through and will represent the Colorado men in Eugene," Wetmore said.

"Off we go to Eugene. Five women, Erin Clark in two events, and Zach Perrin for the guys decent size group continuing on to the NCAA finals," Wetmore said of the weekend.

For a full list of competition results visit: http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/.
...
"

 

[AztecBuff]