University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
NCAA West Prelim
Gophers to Send 14 to NCAA Championship
5/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The No. 11 Minnesota women's track & field team wrapped up the NCAA West Prelim with 13 individual qualifications and one relay team headed to the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Temi Ogunrinde, Nayoka Clunis, Emma Spagnola, and Minnesota's 4x400m relay team of Emerald Egwim, Rachel Schow, Titania Markland, and Val Larson earned NCAA Championship berths on the final day of competition at the NCAA West Prelim at Hornet Stadium on Saturday.
Spagnola leads Minnesota's NCAA qualifiers, advancing to the national meet in two individual events. She added an NCAA berth in the 100m hurdles on day three of the meet, placing second in her heat and eighth overall in 13.16 seconds after qualifying in the 400m hurdles on day two of the meet.
Already a two-time All-American, Spagnola will make her NCAA debut in the 400m hurdles this season along with making her second NCAA appearance in the 100m hurdles. A year ago, Spagnola finished 16th in the 100m hurdles to earn Second Team All-America honors at the NCAA Championship; she also collected second team honors by taking 11th in the 60m hurdles at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championship.
Day three began also saw the Gophers secure two NCAA berths in the hammer throw. Ogunrinde and Clunis became the 11th and 12th Gophers to punch their tickets to the NCAA Championship at the West Prelim. Ogunrinde threw 65.88m (216-02) on her first attempt to place third in the event while Clunis took 12th with a toss of 61.31m (201-02). Agnes Esser, who already qualified for the national meet in the discus, placed 15th (61.21m, 200-10) in the hammer throw as well.
The NCAA West Prelim came to a close with the 4x400m relay where Minnesota placed sixth overall in a program-record time of 3:32.25 to punch their ticket to Eugene, Ore. Egwim and Markland also advanced to the NCAA Championship in the open 400m while Rachel Schow and Val Larson rounded out the Gophers' relay team and earned their first NCAA berths of their careers.
In total, Minnesota will have 14 individuals competing in 11 different events at the NCAA Championship, including two qualifiers each in the 400m (Egwim, Markland), high jump (Heta Tuuri, Ashley Ramacher), and hammer throw (Ogunrinde, Clunis). Three individuals are set to compete in two events: Spagnola (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles), Egwim (400m, 4x400m relay), and Markland (400m, 4x400m relay), and the Maroon & Gold will have 14 total entries at the meet. Along with those advancing out of the NCAA West Prelim, Ayesha Champagnie is one of Minnesota's 14 NCAA qualifiers as she will represent the Gophers in the heptathlon; the multi-events are not contested at the preliminary meets.
Other day three action at the NCAA West Prelim saw Shanique Wright make her third career preliminary round appearance in the triple jump, but she fell short of a second NCAA Championship berth. Wright jumped 12.81m (42-00.50), her second best mark of the season, to finish 17th overall.
Meanwhile, Bethany Hasz made her NCAA West Prelim debut in the 5,000m run, clocking a time of 16:09.77. She came in 11th in heat one of two and ended up 22nd overall.
Minnesota's national qualifiers will join the other advancing athletes out of both the East and West preliminary meets at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, set for Wednesday, June 6 through Saturday, June 9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Gophers' NCAA Championship Qualifiers
2. Emma Spagnola, 400m hurdles (56.51 seconds)
3. Temi Ogunrinde, hammer throw (65.88m, 216-02)
4. Nicolle Murphy, javelin (52.22m, 171-04)
5. Madeline Strandemo, 3,000m steeplechase (9:51.49)
6. Emerald Egwim, Rachel Schow, Titania Markland, and Val Larson, 4x400m relay (3:32.25)
8. Emma Spagnola, 100m hurdles (13.16 seconds)
8. Emerald Egwim, 400m (52.42 seconds)
8. Kiley Sabin, shot put (16.42m, 53-10.50)
T-9. Heta Tuuri, high jump (1.80m, 5-10.75)
11. Agnes Esser, discus (53.27m, 174-09)
11. Titania Markland, 400m (52.53 seconds)
T-11. Ashley Ramacher, high jump (1.75m, 5-08.75)
12. Nayoka Clunis, hammer throw (61.31m, 201-02)
-- Ayesha Champagnie, heptathlon (5,821 points)
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