BYU’s Dallin Shurts, Casey Clinger, Kenneth Rooks, plus relay team, qualify for NCAA championships
The BYU men qualified athletes in four more events for the NCAA track and field championships during Friday night’s West region preliminaries in Sacramento, Calif.
Dallin Shurts qualified with an eighth-place finish in the discus, Kenneth Rooks qualified with a second-place finish in the steeplechase, Casey Clinger qualified with an eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run and the 4x400-meter relay team of Eli Hazlett, Jace Jensen, Landon Maxfield and Josh Taylor qualified with a ninth-place finish on the basis of its time, 3:04.16 — the third-fastest time in school history.
Two nights earlier, Clinger also qualified for nationals in the 10,000-meter run.
It was the second and final day of competition for the men in the West Preliminaries, which serves as a qualifying meet for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.
The final day of women’s preliminary competition will be held Saturday.
The BYU men qualified a total of seven athletes in individual events (counting both of Clinger’s qualifications) plus the relay.
Cameron Bates (javelin), Caleb Witsken (pole vault) and Brandon Garnica (10,000) qualified on Wednesday night.
Earlier this month, Rooks clocked a time of 8:17.62 in the steeplechase, which stood as the fastest time in the world this year and set an American collegiate record.
That all changed on Friday night. Running in the second heat, Montana’s Duncan Hamilton ran away from the field and finished with a time of 8:16.23 – some 19 seconds faster than his nearest rival – breaking Rooks’ record.
Rooks ran in the third heat and finished first with a time of 8:25.05 to qualify for the NCAA championships.
His showdown with Hamilton in Austin will be one of the meet’s most anticipated rivalries. Duncan finished second in last year’s NCAA championships; Rooks was sixth.
Nine Utah collegians competed in the steeplechase Friday night, but only Rooks and Weber State’s Bronson Winter managed to advance to the NCAA championships.
Winter had only the 13th-fastest time but advanced by finishing third in the second heat behind Hamilton.
The top three in each heat, plus the next three fastest times advance.
Utah State’s Brennan Benson finished with the eighth-fastest time (a personal-record 3:40.96) and eighth in his heat, failing to advance to the NCAA championships by .07 of a second.
Here is how Utah collegians fared in Friday’s NCAA West Preliminary region meet. Q = qualified for the NCAA championships.
NCAA qualifiers – BYU men
Caleb Witsken - pole vault
Cameron Bates - javelin
Dallin Shurts - discus
Casey Clinger - 5,000 meters
Casey Clinger - 10,000 meters
Brandon Garnica - 10,000 meters
Kenneth Rooks – steeplechase
Eli Hazlett-Jace Jensen-
-Landon Maxfield, Josh Taylor – 4 x 400 relay
Other NCAA qualifiers from Utah schools
Bronson Winter (Weber) - steeplechase
Astley Davis (SUU) – triple jump
Cedar English (SUU) – long jump.
High jump
21st James Grimsman (BYU) 6-10 ¼
26thT Kelton Chenworth 6-10 ¼
38thT Aiden Garnett 6-9 ¼
42nd Seth Krauss 6-6 ¼
Triple jump
9th Astley Davis (SUU) 51-7 ¾ Q
1,500-meter run
8th Brennan Benson (USU) 3:40.96
21st Lucas Bons (BYU) 3:51.99
Discus
8th Dallin Shurts (BYU) 190-11 Q
44th Danny Bryant (BYU) 168-10
5,000-meter ru
8th Casey Clinger (BYU) 13:36.27 Q
14th James Corrigan (BYU) 13:40.86
20th Brandon Garnica (BYU) 13:48.68
38th Spencer Nelson (USU) 14:12.02
4x100 relay
15th BYU (Easton Bianchi, Dallin Draper, Jared Davis, Ben Barton) 39.51
3,000-meter Steeplechase
2nd Kenneth Rooks (BYU) 8:25.05 Q
12th Joel Mendez (UVU) 8:37.40
13th Bronson Winter (W) 8:38.92 Q
16th Jamison Wilkes (W) 8:40.41
24th Max Wehrli (USU) 8:47.09
29th Garrett Stanford (BYU) 8:50.35
32nd Mark Crandall (USU) 8:52.57
40th Zachary Erikson (BYU) 9:06.50
43rd Hayden Harward (SUU) 9:10.98
400
22nd Josh Taylor (BYU) 46.54
4x400
9th BYU (Eli Hazlett, Jace Jensen, Landon Maxfield, Josh Taylor) 3:04.16 Q
