BYU track and field will be represented with 21 entries during the NCAA championships on June 5-8, after a preliminary round BYU head coach Ed Eyestone described as “perfect.”
“Perfect ending to what was really a perfect meet,” Eyestone told BYU athletics.
The NCAA West Preliminaries wrapped up on Saturday, May 25. BYU athletes had nine top-five finishes in various events, claiming spots in the NCAA championships:
Andrea Stapleton-Johnson leaped 1.80 meters in the high jump to claim fifth place
Brenna Porter ran the 400 meter hurdles in 56.98 to claim fourth place
Erica Birk-Jarvis ran the 3000 meter steeplechase in 9:42.54 to claim second place
Kenneth Rooks ran the 3000 meter steeplechase in 8:36.08 to claim fourth
Clayson Shumway ran the 3000 meter steeplechase in 8:39.25 to claim fifth
Rory Linkletter ran the 10,000 meter in 28:59.43 for a to claim first place
Connor McMillan ran the 10,000 meter in 29:00.49 to claim fourth place
Conner Mantz ran the 10,000 meter in 29:00.50 to claim fifth place, while also running the 5000 meters in 13:48.69 to claim fifth place
BYU athletes qualified for 10 national finals and 11 semi-finals, along with these top-five finishes. The Cougars finished third with 15 male athletes who will be participating in the NCAA Championships, just three behind Texas Tech (18) and one behind Florida (16). The men’s track and field team enter the national championships with a No. 4 ranking, while the women hold the No. 15 ranking, according to the USTFCCA.
The men will kick things off at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, June 5. At 6:46 p.m., Franco will run in the 1500 meter semifinal followed by Rooks, Shumway, Heslington and Owens running in the 3000 meter steeplechase semifinal at 7:02 p.m. Linkletter, McMillan, Mantz, Clayton Young, Dallin Farnsworth and Connor Weaver will wrap up day one by running in the 10,000 meter final at 9:08 p.m.
The women take center stage on Thursday night starting with Whittni Orton in the 1500 meter semifinal at 7:16 p.m. Birk-Jarvis will run the 3000 meter steeplechase semifinal at 7:32 p.m. followed by Anna Camp-Bennett and Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes running in the 800 meter semifinal at 8:44 p.m. Porter will then run in the 400 meter hurdles semifinal at 9 p.m.
The men’s NCAA Championship finals start on Friday, June 7, with Ricky Fantroy Jr. participating in the triple jump at 7:40 p.m. Mantz and Young are set to take part in the 5000 meter at 9:25 p.m., while the 4×400 relay team will run in the final event of the day at 9:51 p.m.
The women’s final is scheduled for the last day of the championships, Saturday, June 8, and will feature Andrea Stapleton-Johnson in the high jump at 5:00 p.m.
All of the times listed are central time, and the NCAA championships can be live streamed on ESPN3.
