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.

Pac-12 Champion Sage Hurta will be racing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; she is currently ranked No. 9 in the NCAA, with a season-best time of 9:57.28.

Ben Saarel will be racing in the men's 1,500-meter run, following his impressive performance last weekend at the Pac-12 Championships, where he won the conference crown in the 5,000. Qualifying for the 5,000 is Zach Perrin, who finished less than a second behind Saarel at the Pac-12's.

The two men that Wetmore referenced who qualified for the 200 meters are Duane McClurkin, Jr. and Jon Maas with qualifying times of 21.08 and 21.03, respectively.

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, Abby 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.

Colorado University Athletics

CU Qualifies 25 Athletes for the Track and Field NCAA West Preliminaries`

Related News

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Benner

Alexander Billing

Erin Clark

Ryan Forsyth

Elisa Grandemange

Eriana Henderson

Eduardo Herrera

Sage Hurta

Jon Maas

Elissa Mann

Lucy May

Duane McClurkin Jr.

Aaron McCoy

Makena Morley

Melanie Nun

Rajon O'Quinn

Zach Perrin

Adam Peterman

Abby Regner

Ben Saarel

Gabby Scott

Michaela Wenning

Related Videos