The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA West Preliminary Round
Men's Track earns five more qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships
05.25.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country m, Track & Field / Cross Country
May 25, 2013
Results |
NCAA West Preliminary Round Headquarters | NCAA Outdoor Championships - Declarations/Start Lists/Results | NCAA West Preliminary Notes (PDF)
The skies surrounding Mike A. Myers Stadium were gloomy throughout Friday's action at the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round, but that didn't stop the Texas men's track and field team from producing five more qualifiers in three events for the national meet.
One day after advancing three athletes in the discus and five overall, the Longhorns added three more qualifiers in the shot put headlined by national leader Ryan Crouser.
Zack Bilderback also continued his fine freshman season by advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400 meters.
Trevor Van Ackeren capped off the day, which technically didn't end until Saturday, by gutting out a spot in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
All-American Keiron Stewart, competing in his first meet since the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays due to an injured hamstring, cruised into Saturday's quarterfinals of the 110-meter hurdles by clocking a time of 14.02, which was second in his heat and eighth among the 48-man field.
"It felt good," Stewart said of his first race in nearly two months. "It was good competition, although the rain delay set everyone off."
Weather wreaked havoc with the second of the three-day meet. Unexpected strong storms caused a six-hour delay. Without an event completed, the meet was halted at roughly 2 p.m. CDT. It appeared the meet would be restarted at 5 p.m., but another band of storms with lightning rolled through Austin.
The meet finally resumed at 8 p.m., causing a three-hour delay in the start of the running events, which did not conclude until just after 1 a.m. Saturday.
As expected Crouser had little trouble advancing to the NCAAs in the shot put. His toss of 62 feet, 11 1/4 inches (19.18m) on his third attempt was the best in the field. That was well off his nation's best mark of 69-2 1/2 (21.09m), but he passed on his final three attempts.
Hayden Baillio and Will Spence had to battle to make the trip to Eugene, Ore., for the four-day (June 5-8) national meet.
Baillio nearly had his streak of seven-straight trips to the national meet snapped.
The senior was called for a foot foul on his first attempt, which ended up traveling 58-10.25 (17.95m). But a protest was upheld and he was able to move onto the 16-man finals where he posted a season-best 62-0.25 (18.90m) on his final toss, which ended up tying him for fifth.
Spence will make his first trip to the NCAA Outdoor meet after finishing 12th with a toss of 59-09.50 (18.22m).
Spence was hoping to also make the national meet in the discus, but was unable to advance out of Thursday's first-round action. Crouser, Blake Jakobsson and Clint Harris made the discus field.
"I was really disappointed after yesterday," Spence said. "But I'm excited to be going the NCAAs."
Bilderback survived a difficult heat to advance to the NCAAs. He had to battle the second and third-seeded 400-meter performers in Deon Lendore of Texas A&M and Kyle Clemons of Kansas.
"I went out there not concerned about time," Bilderback said. "I merely wanted to beat people. That's what I did. The top two guys of the event were in my heat, I knew I had to go out and compete for that third spot, especially during that last stretch."
Bilderback was in fifth coming around the last turn but made up ground to finish third and earn an automatic qualifier.
Van Ackeren, who clocked a personal-best 8:46.05, slipped into the field by the slimmest of margins. He was third throughout much of his steeplechase heat, but had to hold off a charge down the homestretch from Mike Hardy of Weber State, who posted a time of 8:46.07 and did not make the NCAA field. The top three in each heat plus the next three best times earned berths to the NCAAs.
Austin Bussing shaved nearly seven seconds off his career best, but finished 14th overall in 8:45.55.
Saturday's action begins at 10 a.m. with the men's hammer throw, the only event from Friday which had to be postponed. Running events begin at 6 p.m.
Notes:
- Including decathletes Johannes Hock and Isaac Murphy, Texas now has 12 qualifiers in six events Ryan Crouser - discus and shot put; Blake Jakobsson - discus; Clint Harris - discus;>Hayden Baillio - shot put; Will Spence - shot put;>Zack Bilderback - 400 meters;>Trevor Van Ackeren - steeplechase; Ryan Dohner - 10,000 meters; Craig Lutz - 10,000 meters) for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
->Zack Bilderback entered the NCAA West Preliminary Round with the third-best 400-meter time (46.08) in the nation among freshmen and posted the best time qualifying time in the region among first-year athletes.
Quotes:
- Senior Keiron Stewart (110-meter hurdles)
On Saturday's quarterfinals: "Tomorrow it will take my best effort. Because it will be my last race in this stadium, I will have to dial in even more. I will have to be more focused and execute properly."
TEXAS ENTRIES/RESULTS- NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY ROUND (All times Central)
Austin, Texas - Mike A. Myers Stadium
Thursday, May 23
- Discus - First Round: 4. Ryan Crouser, 189-9 (57.84m)*; 5. Blake Jakobsson, 188-0 (57.30m)*; 6. Clint Harris, 187-5 (57.12m)*; 23.>Hayden Baillio, 174-8 (53.25m); 27. Will Spence, 173-5 (52.87m)
- 400-Meter Hurdles - First Round: 47. Josh Brudnick, 55.90
- 1,500 Meters - First Round: 9. Patrick McGregor, 3:44.52; 12. Kyle Merber, 3:49.04
- 400 Meters - First Round: 10.>Zack Bilderback, 46.67
- 800 Meters - First Round: 34. Kyle Thompson, 1:50.83
- 10,000 Meters - Semifinal: 5. Ryan Dohner*, 30:04.45; 9. Craig Lutz*, 30:18.01; 36. Rory Tunningley, 31:53.35
Friday, May 24
- 110-Meter Hurdles - First Round: 8. Keiron Stewart, 14.02; 21. Jake Wohlford, 14.24
- Shot Put - First Round: 1. Ryan Crouser, 62-11.25 (19.18m)*; t-5.>Hayden Baillio, 62-0.25 (18.90m)*; 12. Will Spence, 59-9.50 (18.22m)*
- 400 Meters - Quarterfinal: 7. Zack Bilderback, 46.10*
- 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - Quarterfinal: 9.>Trevor Van Ackeren, 8:46.05*; 14.>Austin Bussing, 8:45.55; 47. Austin Roth, 9:39.26
Saturday, May 25
- Pole Vault - First Round (1:00 p.m.): Reese Watson, Casey Wicker, Mark Thomas
- Triple Jump - First Round (6:00 p.m.): Jarard Bruner
- 1,500 Meters - Quarterfinal (6:45 p.m.): Kyle Merber, Patrick McGregor
- 110-Meter Hurdles - Quarterfinal (7:20 p.m.): Keiron Stewart, Jake Wohlford
* Advances to NCAA Championships
