The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Entries announced for NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
03.04.2014 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Men and women’s team earn combined 12 entries to two-day meet in Albuquerque, N.M.
Updated: March 10, 2014, 2 p.m. CT
• Accepted Athletes for NCAA Indoor Meet: Men | Women
INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA announced the men's and women's accepted entries lists Tuesday evening for the 2014 Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held March 14-15 in Albuquerque, N.M.
The sixth-ranked Texas women's team, riding the wave of last weekend's Big 12 Indoor title, has nine entries in seven events, while the men have three.
Athletes with the top 16 times/marks and the best 12 relay times earned automatic berths in the field. The descending order list in each event was released Monday and teams were allowed to make scratches over the last two days.
The Longhorns are seeded No. 1 in the nation in three events. Junior Ashley Spencer is first in the 400 meters (51.54 seconds) and Ryan Crouser has the top shot-put mark in the nation with his school-record toss of 69 feet, 8 inches (21.23m) at last month's New Mexico Collegiate Classic. In addition, the foursome of Kendall Baisden, Briana Nelson, Courtney Okolo and Spencer clocked a nation's best time of 3:30.12 in the 4x400-meter relay at last month's Tyson Invitational in Arkansas.
Baisden and Okolo will join Spencer in the 400 meters. Okolo is seeded No. 2 (51.56) and Baisden 11th (52.59).
Sophomore Kaitlin Petrillose is one of the favorites in the pole vault. She cleared a school-record 14-7 1/4 (4.45m) at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. Only 12 other women have ever cleared a higher bar during an NCAA indoor meet.
Sophomore Morolake Akinosun is the lone Longhorn entered in two individual events. She is seeded sixth in the 60 meters (7.25) and 16th in the 200 (23.54).
Senior Shanay Briscoe was also accepted in both the high jump and pentathlon. She was scratched from pentathlon to concentrate on her signature event, the high jump. Briscoe had a career-best total of 4,043 in the pentathlon at the Big 12 meet, but that was tied for 16 nationally.
The complete NCAA field for Texas includes:
Women
• Morolake Akinson – 60 meters (7.25 – 6th), 200 meters (23.54 – 16th)
• Ashley Spencer – 400 meters (51.54 – 1st)
• Courtney Okolo – 400 meters (51.56 – 2nd)
• Kendall Baisden – 400 meters (52.59 – 11th)
• Sara Sutherland – 5,000 meters (15:53.98 – 12th)
• 4x400-meter relay (3:30.12 – 1st)
• Shanay Briscoe – high jump (5-11.50/1.82m – 14th)
• Kaitlin Petrillose – pole vault (14-7.25/4.45m – 2nd)
Men
• Senoj-Jay Givans – 60 meters (6.64 – 16th)#
• Zack Bilderback – 400 meters (46.03 – 10th)
• Ryan Crouser – shot put (69-8/21.23m – 1st)
# Added to the field on March 10 due to medical scratch
ESPN3 will stream the meet live on Friday, March 14 starting at 6:55 p.m. Central and Saturday, March 15 starting at 6:50 p.m. A tape delay of the championship will air Saturday, March 22 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU.