25 CU Athletes Entered for NCAA West Preliminaries

Photo by: Chris Hook

May 16, 2019 | Track and Field

By: Shaun Wicen, Assistant SID

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Colorado track and field program will be sending 25 athletes to the 2019 NCAA Track and Field Championships West Preliminaries next weekend in Sacramento, Calif.

15 women will be entered in nine events, while the men will bring 10 athletes in seven sevens. In addition, both Michaela Wenning and Maja Wichhart-Donzo have qualified straight-through to the 2019 NCAA National Championships in the heptathlon. Wenning will also compete in the high jump at the West Preliminaries. This is the first time in school history that CU has qualified numerous multis to the national championships.

The women's distance squad qualified individuals in every event 800-meters and up. Elissa Mann is the eighth-fastest qualifier in the 800 at 2:04.35, while Annie Hill and Karina Mann are the 29^th and 33^rd-fastest qualifiers in the 1,500, respectfully. Val Constien is the eight-best qualifier in the steeplechase. The women's 5,000 is the largest competed event for Colorado with Makena Morley (10^th), Dani Jones (16^th), Kaitlyn Benner (18^th) and Tabor Scholl (32^nd) all qualified. Benner, Morley and Scholl will all double up in the 10,000 as well.

Another large group for CU is the 400 hurdles. Gabby Scott is the third-fastest qualifier at 56.82 seconds. Eriana Henderson and Valerie Welch qualified as well as the 21^st and 26^th-best competitors. Those three will join forces will Dani Johnson on the 4x400-meter relays as well that is 10^th in qualifying.

In the field events, Kylee Harr will join Wenning in the high jump. They are also joined by Elisa Grandemange in the hammer throw.

For the men, the 5,000 is the largest competed event with three competitors. Ryan Forsyth, John Dressel and Ethan Gonzales all qualified, with Forsyth 13^th and Dressel 16^th. Both Dressel and Forsyth will double in the 10,000 as well.

Gabe Fendel and Eduardo Herrera finishes out the distance squad in the 1,500. Fendel qualified 33^rd overall with Herrera as the 43^rd-best competitor.

The Buffaloes will also have a pair of 400 runners with Jon Maas in the 400-meter dash and Aaron McCoy in the 400 hurdles. Maas is the 15^th-best competitor while McCoy is the 30^th-qualified competitor. Both will run on the 4x400-meter relay as well with Kendal Smith and either Duane McClurkin Jr. or Nathan Hoy.

Freshman Jeremy Cody will be the lone field event athlete for the men. He is the 37^th-best qualifier in the high jump.

The events begin May 24^th at 4:30 p.m. (MT) with the women's high jump at Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State University.