SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Texas A&M continued its steady progression of qualifying individuals in multiple events on Friday, the second day of the NCAA West preliminary rounds held at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.
The Aggies advanced seven more athletes to join the six who qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene on Thursday. Texas A&M's total, which will include the heptathlon and decathlon, currently stands at 16 entries from 15 athletes in 11 events.
Texas A&M men currently have eight entries for the NCAA Championships from eight athletes in six events while the women sport eight entries from seven athletes in five events.
Devin Dixon finished second in his quarterfinal heat of the 800m, producing the second fastest time overall with a 1:46.47, to make a return visit to Eugene for the NCAA Championships. The effort by Dixon ranks as the No. 10 performance on the Aggie all-time list.
UTEP's Michael Saruni posted a 1:46.37 win in the same heat as Dixon. Texas A&M's Efrain Hernandez placed seventh in the heat with a 1:49.26 to finish 16th overall.
Three Aggies ran in separate heats of the women's 800m quarterfinal. Sammy Watson cruised to 2:02.20 heat victory, which was the third best time overall and moves her to No. 2 performer with the No. 4 performance on the A&M all-time list.
Jazmine Fray finished third in her heat with a 2:03.73, the No. 10 performance on the Aggie all-time list. Brittany Parker posted a time of 2:08.35 that placed her seventh in the heat and 21st overall.
With four Texas A&M athletes racing at 400m hurdles, two Aggies advanced to Eugene from the same heat. Infinite Tucker ran 49.99 to win the first of three quarterfinal heats while Ilolo Izu was runner-up in 50.12. They were fifth and sixth overall as USC's Rai Benjamin led the field with a 47.98.
Jackson Davis (51.64) placed fifth in his heat, finishing 18th overall, while Tyler Hart (52.29) was eighth in his heat to place 22nd overall.
Serena Brown hit a mark of 176-9 (53.87) to join Texas A&M's NCAA qualifying parade with an eighth-place effort in the discus.
Jace Comick claimed a time qualifier to Eugene in the 100m as his 10.33 tied for the final pair of time qualifying positions. The other qualifier at 10.33 went to Houston's Mario Burke, while Comick held an edge of 0.001 between the two (10.322 to 10.323).
Close finishes for the final qualifying position on time included Julia Madubuike in the women's 400m where her career best of 52.58 placed her 13th overall. Her time was 0.005 of a second behind the final time qualifier, USC's Kyra Constantine (52.571 to 52.576). Madubuike's PR ranks as the No. 9 performer on the Aggie all-time list.
Bryce Deadmon (46.42) and Kyree Johnson (46.52) raced in the same section of the 400m as they placed fifth and sixth to place 15th and 16th overall.
In the women's 100m, Brenessa Thompson (11.34) finished fifth in her heat while Amber Ivy ran 11.53 for eighth in another heat. Thompson finished 15th overall, just 0.03 from the final time qualifier of 11.31 while Ivy was 22nd.
Raymond Gonzales ran 9:09.31 in the quarterfinals of the 3,000m steeplechase, placing 13th in his heat.
Gabe Oladipo finished 21st in the men's discus with a mark of 174-3 (53.13). In the women's pole vault, Emily Gunderson and Sara Kathryn Stevens both cleared 12-4 ¾ (3.78) while Augusta Thomason missed three attempts at that height. Gunderson and Stevens each went out of the competition at 12-10 ¾ (3.93).
In first round qualifying races for the NCAA West quarterfinals the Aggies advanced three athletes in two events for Saturday's final day. In addition, Texas A&M will also have four relay teams as well as field event athletes competing in the men's high jump, triple jump and javelin along with the women's hammer.
Tyler Guillory earned an automatic advancement by placing second in his heat of the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.13. In the women's 100m hurdles, Chinyere Njoku also had an auto advancement with a 13.58 to place third in her heat. Zharia Moore (13.80) placed sixth in her heat of the hurdles and didn't advance.
Diamond Spaulding clocked 23.45 in the 200m to earn an automatic qualifier to the quarterfinals as she placed third in the heat. Ivy ran in the same heat as Spaulding, finishing sixth with a 23.91 that didn't advance on time.
NCAA West Preliminary Rounds – Sacramento, California – Texas A&M Schedule
Saturday, May 26 (Pacific Time)
12:00 p.m. W Hammer Carissa van Beek (Flight 1)
12:00 p.m. M Javelin Ioannis Kyriazis, William Petersson (both Flight 3)
4:00 p.m. M High Jump Garrett Cragin (Flight 2)
4:30 p.m. W Triple Jump Ciynamon Stevenson (Flight 3), Lajarvia Brown (Flight 4)
6:00 p.m. M 4x100 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
6:15 p.m. W 4x100 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 3)
6:30 p.m. M 1500m (QF) Alex Riba
7:05 p.m. M 110mH (QF) Tyler Guillory
7:20 p.m. W 100mH (QF) Chinyere Njoku
7:30 p.m. M Triple Jump Tahar Triki (Flight 4)
7:50 p.m. W 200m (QF) Diamond Spaulding
9:25 p.m. M 4x400 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
9:45 p.m. W 4x400 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
NCAA Championships – Eugene, Oregon – Texas A&M Qualifiers
MEN (8 athletes, 6 events, 8 entries)
100m Jace Comick
800m Devin Dixon
400m Hurdles Infinite Tucker, Ilolo Izu
Pole Vault Jacob Wooten, Audie Wyatt
Long Jump Tahar Triki
Decathlon Nathan Hite
WOMEN (7 athletes, 5 events, 8 entries)
800m Jazmine Fray, Sammy Watson
Long Jump Tyra Gittens
Discus Serena Brown
Javelin Kristen Clark, Maddy Stulce
Heptathlon Tyra Gittens, Shaina Burns
The Aggies advanced seven more athletes to join the six who qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene on Thursday. Texas A&M's total, which will include the heptathlon and decathlon, currently stands at 16 entries from 15 athletes in 11 events.
Texas A&M men currently have eight entries for the NCAA Championships from eight athletes in six events while the women sport eight entries from seven athletes in five events.
Devin Dixon finished second in his quarterfinal heat of the 800m, producing the second fastest time overall with a 1:46.47, to make a return visit to Eugene for the NCAA Championships. The effort by Dixon ranks as the No. 10 performance on the Aggie all-time list.
UTEP's Michael Saruni posted a 1:46.37 win in the same heat as Dixon. Texas A&M's Efrain Hernandez placed seventh in the heat with a 1:49.26 to finish 16th overall.
Three Aggies ran in separate heats of the women's 800m quarterfinal. Sammy Watson cruised to 2:02.20 heat victory, which was the third best time overall and moves her to No. 2 performer with the No. 4 performance on the A&M all-time list.
Jazmine Fray finished third in her heat with a 2:03.73, the No. 10 performance on the Aggie all-time list. Brittany Parker posted a time of 2:08.35 that placed her seventh in the heat and 21st overall.
With four Texas A&M athletes racing at 400m hurdles, two Aggies advanced to Eugene from the same heat. Infinite Tucker ran 49.99 to win the first of three quarterfinal heats while Ilolo Izu was runner-up in 50.12. They were fifth and sixth overall as USC's Rai Benjamin led the field with a 47.98.
Jackson Davis (51.64) placed fifth in his heat, finishing 18th overall, while Tyler Hart (52.29) was eighth in his heat to place 22nd overall.
Serena Brown hit a mark of 176-9 (53.87) to join Texas A&M's NCAA qualifying parade with an eighth-place effort in the discus.
Jace Comick claimed a time qualifier to Eugene in the 100m as his 10.33 tied for the final pair of time qualifying positions. The other qualifier at 10.33 went to Houston's Mario Burke, while Comick held an edge of 0.001 between the two (10.322 to 10.323).
Close finishes for the final qualifying position on time included Julia Madubuike in the women's 400m where her career best of 52.58 placed her 13th overall. Her time was 0.005 of a second behind the final time qualifier, USC's Kyra Constantine (52.571 to 52.576). Madubuike's PR ranks as the No. 9 performer on the Aggie all-time list.
Bryce Deadmon (46.42) and Kyree Johnson (46.52) raced in the same section of the 400m as they placed fifth and sixth to place 15th and 16th overall.
In the women's 100m, Brenessa Thompson (11.34) finished fifth in her heat while Amber Ivy ran 11.53 for eighth in another heat. Thompson finished 15th overall, just 0.03 from the final time qualifier of 11.31 while Ivy was 22nd.
Raymond Gonzales ran 9:09.31 in the quarterfinals of the 3,000m steeplechase, placing 13th in his heat.
Gabe Oladipo finished 21st in the men's discus with a mark of 174-3 (53.13). In the women's pole vault, Emily Gunderson and Sara Kathryn Stevens both cleared 12-4 ¾ (3.78) while Augusta Thomason missed three attempts at that height. Gunderson and Stevens each went out of the competition at 12-10 ¾ (3.93).
In first round qualifying races for the NCAA West quarterfinals the Aggies advanced three athletes in two events for Saturday's final day. In addition, Texas A&M will also have four relay teams as well as field event athletes competing in the men's high jump, triple jump and javelin along with the women's hammer.
Tyler Guillory earned an automatic advancement by placing second in his heat of the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.13. In the women's 100m hurdles, Chinyere Njoku also had an auto advancement with a 13.58 to place third in her heat. Zharia Moore (13.80) placed sixth in her heat of the hurdles and didn't advance.
Diamond Spaulding clocked 23.45 in the 200m to earn an automatic qualifier to the quarterfinals as she placed third in the heat. Ivy ran in the same heat as Spaulding, finishing sixth with a 23.91 that didn't advance on time.
NCAA West Preliminary Rounds – Sacramento, California – Texas A&M Schedule
Saturday, May 26 (Pacific Time)
12:00 p.m. W Hammer Carissa van Beek (Flight 1)
12:00 p.m. M Javelin Ioannis Kyriazis, William Petersson (both Flight 3)
4:00 p.m. M High Jump Garrett Cragin (Flight 2)
4:30 p.m. W Triple Jump Ciynamon Stevenson (Flight 3), Lajarvia Brown (Flight 4)
6:00 p.m. M 4x100 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
6:15 p.m. W 4x100 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 3)
6:30 p.m. M 1500m (QF) Alex Riba
7:05 p.m. M 110mH (QF) Tyler Guillory
7:20 p.m. W 100mH (QF) Chinyere Njoku
7:30 p.m. M Triple Jump Tahar Triki (Flight 4)
7:50 p.m. W 200m (QF) Diamond Spaulding
9:25 p.m. M 4x400 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
9:45 p.m. W 4x400 Relay Texas A&M (Heat 2)
NCAA Championships – Eugene, Oregon – Texas A&M Qualifiers
MEN (8 athletes, 6 events, 8 entries)
100m Jace Comick
800m Devin Dixon
400m Hurdles Infinite Tucker, Ilolo Izu
Pole Vault Jacob Wooten, Audie Wyatt
Long Jump Tahar Triki
Decathlon Nathan Hite
WOMEN (7 athletes, 5 events, 8 entries)
800m Jazmine Fray, Sammy Watson
Long Jump Tyra Gittens
Discus Serena Brown
Javelin Kristen Clark, Maddy Stulce
Heptathlon Tyra Gittens, Shaina Burns