University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
NCAA First Round
Donnelly, Hechsel Punch Championship Tickets
5/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Results
LAWRENCE, Kan. (GopherSports.com) - For the second day in a row, poor weather hampered competition at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary Round although a pair of competitors for the No. 16 Minnesota men's track & field squad earned berths to next month's NCAA championships in Eugene, Ore.
Sean Donnelly (hammer throw) and Mitch Hechsel (800 meters) both recorded top-12 finishes in their respective events to send themselves to the national outdoor competition for the first time.
Donnelly, a four-time Division III national champion and an eight-time Division III All-American as well as the Minnesota hammer throw record holder, actually hit his qualifying mark of 66.34 meters (217-08 ft.) on Thursday before lightning postponed the conclusion of the hammer throw to Monday morning. The senior's throw held up to give Donnelly a fourth-place finish.
Hechsel claimed his trip to Eugene with a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters and a time of 1:48.37. The junior won his heat to earn the automatic qualifying bid while Goaner Deng finished second in the heat but ranked 19th overall with a time of 1:49.61. Shane Streich came in 36th at 1:51.80.
Meanwhile, Luca Wieland finished 16th in the long jump at 7.44 meters (24-05.00 ft.), Aaron Bartnik finished 19th in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at 9:01.67 and Jack Wellenstein finished 20th in the 400 meters at 47.09. Ryan Lockard came in 21st in the high jump at 2.12 meters (6-11.50 ft.) while Nick Bachinski followed in 30th at 2.07 meters (6-09.50 ft.)
The No. 16 Gophers close out the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary Round at Rock Chalk Park on Saturday. The top-12 individual competitors and top-12 relay teams from both the East and West preliminary rounds qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 8-11.
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Players Mentioned
