Collegiate track & field season closes starting Wednesday with NCAA championships in Eugene...
The 2024 collegiate track and field season closes with the NCAA Division I track & field championships starting Wednesday at Hayward Field (photo courtesy University of Oregon) on the University of Oregon campus, and runs through Saturday.
For the US citizens who have aspirations of qualifying for the US Olympic Trials, the NCAA championships have special significance, as the qualifying period closes June 9th, one day after the conclusion of the meet.
The Washington men's team had a strong showing at the West Regional meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the Pac-12 team champs qualified eight individuals, seven of whom have previous NCAA championship meet experience, led by defending 1500 meter champ Nathan Green.
Of the seven with previous experience, only 400 hurdler Jonathan Birchman, pole vaulter Max Manson, and javelin thrower Chandler Ault have not scored at an NCAA championship meet, while 1500 runners Joe Waskom (2022 1500) and Luke Houser (2023/24 mile) have won NCAA titles.
Decathlete Jami Schlueter is the only Dawg who hasn't competed in an NCAA championship.
Washington sends five athletes to Eugene, led by the top three finishers in the Pac-12 pole vault, twins Hana & Amanda Moll, along with NCAA scorer Nastassja Campbell.
The trio will be joined by 1500 meter runners Chloe Foerster and Sophie O'Sullivan (800 meter runner Wilma Nielsen, who surprisingly ran in the Bauhaus Galan Diamond League meet in Stockholm Sunday, was announced by the UW as a scratch so she can focus on the European Championships).
O'Sullivan, who got the Olympic standard in the 1500 at last year's world championships, had a slow start to her season, opening at the Pac-12s in Boulder, where she finished seventh.
Of Washington's five women, only Amanda Moll doesn't have NCAA final championship meet experience.
Washington State sends four athletes to Eugene, led by hurdlers Maribel Caicedo, the West regional champ, and teammate Micaela De Mello. Caicedo, who lowered her own Ecuadorian national record twice at both the Pac-12 and NCAA regionals and has the Olympic standard in the event, is one of the favorites in the 100 hurdles, while the Brazilian De Mello could make the top-eight and is closing on the Olympic standard of 12.77.
Also joining them is shot putter Nana Gyedu, while decathlete Lee Walburn is the lone male qualifier for the Cougs.
While Wil Smith and Rosina Machu of Gonzaga have NCAA cross country championship meet experience, none of them have competed at the track & field championships.
Smith, who surprisingly didn't advance in the 10000, bounced back to qualify in the 5000, while cross country All-American Machu qualified in the 10000.
Men's events takes place on Wednesday and Friday, and women's events go on Thursday and Saturday, with the exception of the decathlon and heptathlon competitions, as the decathlon goes Wednesday-Thursday, and the heptathlon Friday-Saturday.
There are a host of athletes with Washington ties competing in the NCAA title meet, led by Woodinville native Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame, the defending champion in the steeplechase.
Others with Washington ties competing include ex-WSU Cougar Louie Hinchliffe, competing in the 100 and 4x100 relay for Houston; Ridgefield native Trey Knight of Cal State Northridge in the hammer; Rainier HS grad Jeremiah Nubbe of Texas in the hammer and discus; and, Cashmere's Rob McManus of Montana State in the steeplechase.
Women with ties to the state competing include Eastside Catholic grad Kate Jendrezak of UCLA in the 800; Lake Stevens alum Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State in the 5000 and 10000; and former Huskies Andrea Markezich of Notre Dame and Sarah Carter of Colorado State in the 10000.
Penn's Scott Toney (pole vault) and Acer Iverson of Harvard (5000) will be competing in their final meets for their schools before coming to Washington in the fall as grad transfers with remaining eligibility.
The meet will be broadcast on the networks of ESPN, either streaming on ESPN+ or televised on ESPNU, ESPN2 or ESPN.
- Wednesday's televised window will be between 4:30 and 8 pm on ESPNU.
- Thursday will air on ESPN2 from 5:30 to 9 pm PT
- Friday will air on ESPN2 from 6pm to 8:30 pm PT
- Saturday will air on ESPN from 2:30 pm to 5 pm PT
The combined events and field events will have dedicated live streams on ESPN+.
Wednesday's schedule of athletes with Washington ties competing is below:
12:30 pm 100 Meters MEN Decathlon Jami Schlueter (UW), Lee Walburn (WSU)
1:10 pm Long Jump MEN Decathlon Jami Schlueter, Lee Walburn
2:00 pm Hammer MEN Final Trey Knight (CS Northridge), Jeremiah Nubbe (Texas)
2:25 pm Shot Put MEN Decathlon Jami Schlueter, Lee Walburn
3:40 pm High Jump MEN Decathlon Jami Schlueter, Lee Walburn
4:32 pm 4 x 100 Relay MEN Semifinals Louie Hinchliffe (Houston)
4:46 pm 1500 Meters MEN Semifinals Nathan Green, Luke Houser, Joe Waskom (all UW)
5:00 pm Pole Vault MEN Final Max Manson (UW), Scott Toney (Penn)
5:45 pm Javelin MEN Final Chandler Ault (UW)
5:46 pm 100 Meters MEN Semifinals Louie Hinchliffe
6:00 pm Long Jump MEN Final Prestin Artis (UW)
6:30 pm 400 Hurdles MEN Semifinals Jonathan Birchman (UW)
6:56 pm 400 Meters MEN Decathlon Jami Schlueter, Lee Walburn
NOTE: The NCAA and the sports information offices of Gonzaga, Washington, Washington State and Oregon contributed to this report.
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