2017 DI NCAA West Preliminary RoundMay 18, 2017 by FLO TRACK
9 Takeaways From NCAA Preliminary Entries
9 Takeaways From NCAA Preliminary Entries
The unofficial NCAA preliminary entries are out. The entries still have to be confirmed by the coaches tomorrow, but based on the scratches that we saw today, these are the nine biggest takeaways that we have from the entries.
By Dennis Young and Taylor Dutch
The unofficial NCAA preliminary entries are out. The entries still have to be confirmed by the coaches tomorrow, but based on the scratches that we saw today, these are the nine biggest takeaways that we have from the entries.
No. 1-ranked Charles Brown has scratched
Texas Tech's Charles Brown scratched from the meet entirely. He was the collegiate leader in the long jump by over four inches and the No. 15 seed in the triple jump. The sophomore only competed in the high jump at last weekend's Big 12 Outdoor Championship, finishing sixth.
No. 2-ranked Emmanuel Korir scratched 400m, focusing on 800m
A somewhat less surprising scratch came from UTEP's Emmanuel Korir, who is only running the 800 meters. The 800m/400m double is almost unheard of in 2017, but Korir ran 44.53 last weekend--making him the second-fastest performer in the NCAA this year. He'll focus on the 800, where his 1:43.73 makes him a candidate to break Donavan Brazier's 1:43.55 collegiate record exactly a year later.
NCAA Women's West Prelim Entries
Amy-Eloise Neale attacking 1500/5K double
Washington's All-American Amy-Eloise Neale is planning on doing the tough 1500m/5K double at NCAA West preliminaries. Neale showed her toughness at the Pac-12 Championships in both events. She got knocked down in the 1500m final and still managed to jump back up and finish sixth overall. Just a couple hours later, she competed in the 5K final where she finished second to Dani Jones by 0.02 seconds.
Neale enters the meet ranked No. 1 in the 1500m with a best of 4:11 and No. 2 in the 5K with a best of 15:39.
Allie Ostrander is doing the 5K/steeplechase double
Boise State's distance star made her season debut with a stunning 9:55 steeplechase victory at the Stanford Invitational. The performance was her first attempt at the event, and it made heads turn for a few reasons. No athlete in the Olympic Trials steeplechase final ran a faster debut than Ostrander's run at Stanford. It was also an NCAA All-American-worthy time that beat several pros in the field. As suggested by her NCAA declaration, Ostrander is choosing to focus her energy in the event which has unlimited potential for her. She is also entered in the 5K, the event in which she finished eighth in the Olympic Trials last year. She enters with a season's best of 16:09.
Watch Ostrander's steeple debut:
Arkansas' Devin Clark scratched
The second-fastest returner in the steeplechase has scratched the meet. Clark ran one steeplechase this season (10:08) at Bryan Clay and two 1500m (both in 4:24) but hasn't raced since April 14. She ran the American junior record of 9:49 last year at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She will be missed at this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
NCAA Men's East Prelim Entries
No. 1-ranked Devon Williams scratched hurdles
Devon Williams is not running the 110 meter hurdles; if it can be unsurprising that the collegiate leader is scratching an event, that's the case here. Williams, the heptathlon indoor national champion, is focusing on the decathlon. His 13.37 in the hurdles tied for the collegiate lead, but Georgia head coach Petros Kyprianou has typically not overburdened his athletes at NCAA championships the last few years.
NCAA Women's East Prelim Entries
Molly Seidel is running!
With one outdoor race this season, Molly Seidel qualified for the NCAA preliminaries and has officially declared that she's running. The four-time NCAA champion returned to Notre Dame for her final season of eligibility but was only able to race twice in 2017 (4:44 indoor mile, and 33:19 10K). Seidel's 10K performance took place at the Stanford Invitational, where she won her heat in 33:19, a time that is just one second shy of the personal best she set on her way to winning the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. This year's NCAA championships will be her final competition in a Notre Dame uniform and her last shot at an NCAA title.
Anna Rohrer plans 5K/10K double
Fellow Notre Dame All-American Anna Rohrer is targeting a 5K/10K double in the east preliminary. Rohrer made her 10K debut at the Stanford Invitational, where she ran 31:58, which made her the seventh-fastest performer in NCAA history. She also posted an outdoor 5K personal best of 15:43.
Watch Rohrer's 10K performance:
Raven Saunders is competing
Saunders enters the East preliminary with the top mark in the shot put and No. 10 mark in the discus but hasn't competed in a meet since March 25, when she posted her outdoor bests of 18.51m in the shot put and 54.91m in the discus. The Olympic finalist missed the majority of the outdoor season due to a violation of team rules but will return to competition at NCAA East preliminaries, where she aims to defend her four NCAA shot put titles.
The unofficial NCAA preliminary entries are out. The entries still have to be confirmed by the coaches tomorrow, but based on the scratches that we saw today, these are the nine biggest takeaways that we have from the entries.
NCAA Men's West Prelim Entries
No. 1-ranked Charles Brown has scratched
Texas Tech's Charles Brown scratched from the meet entirely. He was the collegiate leader in the long jump by over four inches and the No. 15 seed in the triple jump. The sophomore only competed in the high jump at last weekend's Big 12 Outdoor Championship, finishing sixth.
No. 2-ranked Emmanuel Korir scratched 400m, focusing on 800m
A somewhat less surprising scratch came from UTEP's Emmanuel Korir, who is only running the 800 meters. The 800m/400m double is almost unheard of in 2017, but Korir ran 44.53 last weekend--making him the second-fastest performer in the NCAA this year. He'll focus on the 800, where his 1:43.73 makes him a candidate to break Donavan Brazier's 1:43.55 collegiate record exactly a year later.
NCAA Women's West Prelim Entries
Amy-Eloise Neale attacking 1500/5K double
Washington's All-American Amy-Eloise Neale is planning on doing the tough 1500m/5K double at NCAA West preliminaries. Neale showed her toughness at the Pac-12 Championships in both events. She got knocked down in the 1500m final and still managed to jump back up and finish sixth overall. Just a couple hours later, she competed in the 5K final where she finished second to Dani Jones by 0.02 seconds.
Amy got knocked down going into the final lap ... somehow came back and still finished 6th
— UW Track (@UWTrack) May 14, 2017
Neale enters the meet ranked No. 1 in the 1500m with a best of 4:11 and No. 2 in the 5K with a best of 15:39.
Allie Ostrander is doing the 5K/steeplechase double
Boise State's distance star made her season debut with a stunning 9:55 steeplechase victory at the Stanford Invitational. The performance was her first attempt at the event, and it made heads turn for a few reasons. No athlete in the Olympic Trials steeplechase final ran a faster debut than Ostrander's run at Stanford. It was also an NCAA All-American-worthy time that beat several pros in the field. As suggested by her NCAA declaration, Ostrander is choosing to focus her energy in the event which has unlimited potential for her. She is also entered in the 5K, the event in which she finished eighth in the Olympic Trials last year. She enters with a season's best of 16:09.
Watch Ostrander's steeple debut:
Arkansas' Devin Clark scratched
The second-fastest returner in the steeplechase has scratched the meet. Clark ran one steeplechase this season (10:08) at Bryan Clay and two 1500m (both in 4:24) but hasn't raced since April 14. She ran the American junior record of 9:49 last year at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She will be missed at this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
NCAA Men's East Prelim Entries
No. 1-ranked Devon Williams scratched hurdles
Devon Williams is not running the 110 meter hurdles; if it can be unsurprising that the collegiate leader is scratching an event, that's the case here. Williams, the heptathlon indoor national champion, is focusing on the decathlon. His 13.37 in the hurdles tied for the collegiate lead, but Georgia head coach Petros Kyprianou has typically not overburdened his athletes at NCAA championships the last few years.
NCAA Women's East Prelim Entries
Molly Seidel is running!
With one outdoor race this season, Molly Seidel qualified for the NCAA preliminaries and has officially declared that she's running. The four-time NCAA champion returned to Notre Dame for her final season of eligibility but was only able to race twice in 2017 (4:44 indoor mile, and 33:19 10K). Seidel's 10K performance took place at the Stanford Invitational, where she won her heat in 33:19, a time that is just one second shy of the personal best she set on her way to winning the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. This year's NCAA championships will be her final competition in a Notre Dame uniform and her last shot at an NCAA title.
Anna Rohrer plans 5K/10K double
Fellow Notre Dame All-American Anna Rohrer is targeting a 5K/10K double in the east preliminary. Rohrer made her 10K debut at the Stanford Invitational, where she ran 31:58, which made her the seventh-fastest performer in NCAA history. She also posted an outdoor 5K personal best of 15:43.
Watch Rohrer's 10K performance:
Raven Saunders is competing
Saunders enters the East preliminary with the top mark in the shot put and No. 10 mark in the discus but hasn't competed in a meet since March 25, when she posted her outdoor bests of 18.51m in the shot put and 54.91m in the discus. The Olympic finalist missed the majority of the outdoor season due to a violation of team rules but will return to competition at NCAA East preliminaries, where she aims to defend her four NCAA shot put titles.