The NCAA Division I championships start Wednesday!
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| University of Portland steeplechaser Tansey Lystad from Inglemoor HS (photo by Paul Merca) |
EUGENE--The stage is set for the four-day collegiate track & field extravaganza known as the NCAA Division I championships at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon, beginning on Wednesday, and concluding with the men's 4 x 400 meter relay Saturday afternoon at 3:55 pm.
Washington, Eastern Washington, and Washington State will send 13, 3, and 2 athletes to Eugene for the four-day meet. Additionally, Rainier Beach HS grad Michael Berry (Oregon), Marcus Chambers from Foss HS (Oregon), Inglemoor HS grad Tansey Lystad (Portland), and Kennedy Catholic's Darian Brooks (Stanford) will participate in the meet.
On Wednesday, Washington will have five athletes competing, led by Pac-12 champs Jax Thoirs (pole vault) and Derrick Daigre (800), with Thoirs going at 4 pm, and Daigre at 4:30 pm.
Also going in the national semifinals of the 800 is MPSF indoor champ Jesse Jorgensen of Washington State.
At 5 pm, Oregon's Michael Berry runs in the third of three national semifinals in the 400 meters. Fifteen minutes later, Big Sky champ Emma Murillo of Eastern Washington will throw in the first of two flights of the women's javelin.
Husky 400 meter hurdlers Kayla Stueckle and Gianna Woodruff are running in the national semifinals at 6:30 pm.
Steeplechasers Liberty Miller of Washington and Big Sky champ Catie Arrigoni of Eastern Washington are also in action Wednesday, along with Portland's Tansey Lystad at 6:45 pm to round out the competitors with Washington ties in day 1 of the NCAA championship meet.
ESPN has broadcast rights for the championships, and will stream the first two days of action on ESPN3.com and Watch ESPN. Wednesday and Thursday will be shown via ESPN3, starting at 3:55 p.m. PT. Events on Friday and Saturday will be broadcast live on ESPNU starting at 4:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively.
paulmerca.blogspot.com will be in Eugene for coverage of the NCAA championships.
On the pro circuit, former University of Washington standout Ingvill Måkestad Bovin returns to her first significant track race after missing the entire 2013 season on maternity leave, as she'll run the 800 at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games on Wednesday, the fifth stop on the IAAF Diamond League circuit.
Måkestad Bovin will run against a field that includes defending world champion Eunice Sum of Kenya and Olympic silver medalist Caster Semenya of South Africa.
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