Three Individuals and Three Relays Qualify for Finals on Day One of NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Three individuals and three relay squads advanced to the finals of their respective events on day one of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Canton, N.Y.
Salisbury's Luke Campbell posted the top qualifying finish of the day, taking first in the 400-meter hurdle prelims with a time of 51.27, while teammate Devon Hopkins placed ninth to also grab a spot in the finals. The 400-meter hurdle finals will take place on Saturday at 3:30 p.m, when Campbell will seek his second straight national title.
Christopher Newport's Daulton Teaford was the other individual to earn a spot in the finals following Thursday's competition, finishing eighth in the prelims of the 200-meter dash with a mark of 21.45. Teaford placed second in his heat to qualify for the finals, which will take place on Saturday at 3:55 p.m. He will now compete in the 200 finals at the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career after placing fifth as a sophomore in 2013.
Salisbury's Tyler Austin also competed in the 200-meter dash, claiming 20th with a time of 21.85 seconds.
The Salisbury 4x100-meter relay of Austin, Campbell, Jerel Madison and Zach Schmelz finished seventh in the preliminary round at 41.26, qualifying the Sea Gulls for the finals race on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. Also qualifying for the 4x100 finals was the Wesley quartet of DaJahn Lowery, Vicco Bedell, Patrick Schlosser and Greg Taylor, who placed eighth in the prelims at 41.39 seconds. The CNU 4x100 squad of Dominique Torres, Teaford, Jordan Roach and Ryan Scott placed 15th at 41.91.
In the 4x400 relay, the Salisbury team of Hopkins, Eric Halton, Schmelz and Campbell raced to sixth in the prelims at 3:13.84, advancing to Saturday finals at 5 p.m. The Wesley 4x400 squad of Schlosser, Dominic McAnulty, Urgy Eado and Anthony Brinkley finished 14th (3:17.76).
Wesley's Schlosser sits in 13th after day one of the decathlon with 3,297 points.
On the women's side, the CNU 4x400 relay of Leah Richardson, Jennifer Westerholm, Enuma Ezenwa and Logan Harrington finished 14th at 3:52.21.
Westerholm and Ezenwa are currently 14th and 16th, respectively, in the heptathlon. Westerholm has 2,706 points, while Ezenwa has 2,673.
Action at the NCAA Championships continues tomorrow at noon.