Saturday, May 27
Austin, Texas
All Day
UCLA
at
NCAA Regionals
UCLA junior Misana Viltz.
UCLA Track Wraps Up NCAA West Prelims
May 27, 2017 | Track & Field
AUSTIN, Texas – The UCLA track and field team closed out the NCAA West Prelims with five individual qualifiers and a relay on Saturday evening at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.
The five individual national qualifiers moved the UCLA total to 11 in addition to the men's 4x100m relay that will head to Eugene for the NCAA National Championships.
Sophomore Dotun Ogundeji opened the third and final day of the competition by launching a NCAA qualifying mark on his first throw in the discus. Ogundeji punched his ticket to Eugene for the second straight year by recording a mark of 186-3 to place sixth overall.
The men's 4x100m relay used a top-10 time in school history to secure a spot in Eugene. The quartet of Eldridge Massington, Rai Benjamin, Darnell Roberson and Leon Powell clocked the ninth fastest time in UCLA history with a 39.32.
Junior Misana Viltz qualified for his first NCAA national meet by posting the fifth fastest time on the day in the 110m hurdles with a 13.68 (+2.5w). Viltz earned the automatic bid by placing third in his heat.
Also in the field, the Bruins continued to qualify for the championship meet. Sophomore Ashlie Blake used a lifetime best and the eighth-best throw in school history at 57-4.75 to secure her first career trip to nationals. Senior Torie Owers just missed out by placing 13th with a throw of 52-1.25.
Michael Burke leaped his way to his second national meet this year as the sophomore cleared 7-1.75 (2.18m) to punch his ticket to Eugene.
The final qualifier of the meet for UCLA was Daniel De La Torre in the 5,000m. The junior had to hold his breath as he was the seventh finisher in his heat and the time of 14:20.57 held up to send him to Oregon for the national meet. The women's 4x100m relay started the meet with a rough exchange and placed 17th at 45.91.
Junior Jessie Maduka placed 21st in the triple jump with a mark of 42-2.25 (12.86m). After anchoring home the 4x100m relay, Powell placed 16th in the 200m with a time of 20.63 (+2.4w). Sophomore Pattriana Perry was 21st in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.55 (+4.5w).
Also in the high jump, seniors Cody Crampton (19th, 6-10.75) and Sage Stone (37th, 6-8.75) wrapped up their UCLA careers. Freshman Isaiah Holmes cleared 6-10.75 to finish 23rd.
The Bruins wrapped up the meet in the 5,000m as freshman Garrett Reynolds placed 28th at 14:47.08 and senior Austin O'Neil cruised after qualifying in the steeple yesterday to a 15:29.29.
The NCAA Championships will begin on Wednesday, June 7 and conclude on Saturday, June 10. Historic Hayward Field will once again be the site of the championship.
Players Mentioned
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Hurdles
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