University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
'U' Heads to Hayward for NCAAs
6/4/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
| 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships | |||||||||||
| Date | Wednesday, June 6-Saturday, June 10 | ||||||||||
| Location | Haywayd Field | Eugene, Ore. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Meet Info | Meet Schedule | Heat Sheets | Live Stats | ||||||||||
| TV/Stream | ESPN Broadcast/Stream Info | ||||||||||
| Gopher Info | Performance List | Outdoor Top 10 | ||||||||||
| Social | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #Gophers | ||||||||||
MINNEAPOLIS -- Three competitors from the University of Minnesota men's track & field program will head to Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., this weekend for the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Representing the Gophers will be Obsa Ali (3,000 meter steeplechase), Ryan Lockard (high jump) and Kieran McKeag (hammer throw).
Hammer Throw Preview (Kieran McKeag)
Final: Wednesday, June 6 at 4:00 p.m. CT
McKeag will make his NCAA championships debut for Minnesota in the hammer throw.
The redshirt freshman qualified with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary.
His mark of 63.97 meters (209-10 ft.) is a personal record and ranks 22nd among NCAA qualifiers.
McKeag's performance also ranks eighth all-time in the hammer throw at Minnesota.
Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors last week in his first season of eligibilty.
3,000 Meter Steeplechase Preview (Obsa Ali)
Semifinals: Wednesday, June 6 at 7:02 p.m. CT
Final: Friday, June 8 at 7:54 p.m. CT
Obsa Ali returns to the NCAA 3,000 meter steeplechase field after earning Second Team All-America honors last year in the event with a 14th-place performance.
The redshirt junior qualified by running 8:36.49 at the NCAA West Preliminary -- a personal record, a school record and the fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Ali's performance at the regional snapped a nearly 47-year old Gophers record in the steeplechase (All-American Don Timm ran 8:39.0 at the 1971 NCAA Championships).
The All-American also claimed the 2018 Big Ten title in the steeplechase after finishing as the runner-up in 2017.
During the 2017-18 year, Ali has rewritten nearly 90 years of Gophers history. In addition to his steeplechase record, Ali also broke the school 10,000 meter record in cross country with a time of 29:23.06 (the record was previously set by Minnesota Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia in 1976).
High Jump Preview (Ryan Lockard)
Final: Friday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m. CT
A redshirt senior, Ryan Lockard will make his NCAA outdoor championships debut for the Gophers.
Lockard punched his ticket to the national championships by clearing 2.16 meters (7-01 ft.) at the regional meet -- a performance that is part of a 13-way tie for the top qualifying mark.
While Lockard makes his NCAA outdoor debut this week, he's been a regular at the NCAA indoor competition -- earning Second Team All-America honors twice in the indoor high jump.
Lockard's outdoor personal record of 2.20 meters (7-02.50 ft.) from 2016 ranks tied for eighth all-time at Minnesota.
Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the third time in his career last week. Lockard has earned the accolade in every year he has been eligible.
Gophers Earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors
Twenty-six members of the Maroon & Gold men's track & field program earned Academic All-Big Ten honors last week when the accolades were announced by the conference. A total of 161 student-athletes from the 'U' earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the spring while Minnesota recorded a new school record with 351 total honors during the 2017-18 academic year.;
Wiebke Earns Big Ten Medal of Honor
Derek Wiebke closed out his collegiate career by earning the 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor for the Gophers. Wiebke claimed the 2017 Big Ten indoor mile crown and later added First Team All-America accolades in the indoor distance medley relay along with two All-Big Ten selections. Minnesota's SAAC president, Wiebke was a CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team selection in 2017 and has now earned his second Academic All-District honor. A German, Scandinavian & Dutch major, Wiebke has also been named Academic All-Big Ten five times in his career.
'U' Breaks Ground on Facility
The University of Minnesota officially broke ground on a new outdoor track & field venue on Friday, Oct. 20. The new stadium will feature a nine-lane track with three chutes, full field event hosting capabilities, and a design to allow sprints and certain field events to be held in multiple directions to take advantage of wind conditions on competition days. These features, along with permanent and event-based seating, provide the flexibility and the amenities to host a wide variety of meets.
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