AUSTIN – It was quite the day at the NCAA West Prelims for the Wildcats as five athletes earned the right to compete in Eugene at the NCAA semifinals and finals.
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"It was a much better day today," head coach
Fred Harvey said. "I'm really excited about Karla (Teran) getting that final spot. She was nails in the jump-off. Sage (Watson) is ready to run some big races, but the only thing that is important is that she keeps winning. It's also nice to see Aaron (Castle) being a big competitor at the outdoor national championship. It was a great day overall for the Wildcats."
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Sage Watson did what she does best today as she clocked the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles to advance on to the semifinals in Eugene. Her time of 56.13 dusted the field and will be seeded second in the semifinals on June 7. Arizona has had at least one women's 400-meter hurdler advance to Eugene in six-straight years now.
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Aaron Castle punched his ticket to the men's shot put finals today with a toss of 61-5 (18.72m) on his first throw. Castle has been nursing a lower body injury for the past month or so, but he was still able to qualify for his fourth-consecutive NCAA Finals appearance.
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Lisanne Hagens qualified for her second-consecutive NCAA Finals in the high jump with a height of 5-10½ (1.79m). The two-time Pac-12 Champion did not miss one bar today and chose not to continue on after qualifying.
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Her teammate
Karla Teran jumped a height of 5-8½ (1.74m) and couldn't clear 5-10½ (1.79m) for a new personal best. However, she would enter a jump off as there was a seven-way tie for 11th place, in which she earned the 12th and final spot to Eugene by clearing 5-9¾ (1.77m). She is the first freshman since Brigetta Barrett to advance to the women's high jump finals.
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The last time Arizona had two women's high jumpers qualify for the NCAA Finals was back in 2010 when Barrett and Liz Patterson both qualified.
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Bailey Roth rounded out the night by winning his heat in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:50.76, sending him to the semifinals in Eugene. Roth will make his second-consecutive appearance in Eugene for the NCAA Championships. His time was the fourth-fastest of the day.
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"Bailey topped off a great day of performances by our teams," Harvey said. "Watching him run with such confidence showed the team who they are and what they are capable of doing."
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In the women's discus throw,
Emma Ljungberg tossed a mark of 163-1 (49.70m), but did not advance to the finals. That was her third-best mark of the season.
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| Saturday, May 27, 2017 |
|
FIELD EVENTS |
| 1:00PM |
DISCUS |
Men |
1st Round |
Gardenkrans |
| 6:00PM |
HIGH JUMP |
Men |
1st Round |
Summerset |
| 6:00PM |
SHOT PUT |
Women |
1st Round |
Dulaney |
|
RUNNING EVENTS |
|
|
|
| 8:05PM |
5000 METERS |
Women |
Semifinal |
Green |
| 9:25PM |
4 X 400 RELAY |
Women |
Quarter Final |
(Gajda, Gray, Andrews, Watson) *Bryant |
| 9:45PM |
4 X 400 RELAY |
Men |
Quarter Final |
(Houston, Demby, Parish, Washington) *Dan. Egbo |
*Alternate for the 4x400 relays
*All times are Central Time Zone
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For heat sheets, live results and updated schedules, visit ArizonaWildcats.com.
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