Alabama
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Alabama Track and Field Advances to Championship Finals in Four Events on Day One of NCAA Outdoor Championships
6/7/2017 11:27:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Jereem Richards, Steven Gayle, Ruebin Walters and the Crimson Tide’s 4x400-meter relay all qualified for Friday finals
EUGENE, Ore. – The Alabama track and field team qualified three men and its 4x400-meter relay for the championship finals on Wednesday, day one of the NCAA Outdoor Championships being held at historic Haywood Field in Eugene, Ore., this week.
Ruebin Walters (110-meter hurdles), Jereem Richards (200 meters) and Steven Gayle (400 meters) all advanced to the finals, while Alabama's 4x400-meter relay also moved on to the finals on the opening night of the men's competition. In addition to advancing in four events, the Crimson Tide men also recorded eight performances that rank in the top-10 in school history on Wednesday evening.
Richards advanced to Friday's final in the 200 meters by winning the opening heat of the semifinals in a time of 20.04, the fourth-fastest time in school history.
"I thought I could have been going a little bit harder on the turn," Richards said after the race, "but I qualified with the second fastest time going into the final and I'm really proud of that. There are little things I can fix, but in the final I'll do what I'm supposed to do."
Walters moved on to the championship final of the 110-meter hurdles, winning his heat in a time of 13.43, the third-fastest in the semifinals.
"It was a pretty cool race," Walters said. "I just went out and did what my coach told me to. He said to attack the first three hurdles and just stay focused coming home. The wind messed with me a little around the sixth hurdle, but I kept it composed and won my heat."
In the final running event of the evening, the Tide's 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Will Allen, Richards, sophomore Skyler Bowden and Gayle rolled to a time of 3:03.26 to easily advance to Friday's final. The time is the fourth-fastest in school history and the quartet has now run four of the seven fastest time ever at Alabama in their last four outings this season.
"This was the qualifying round, so coach said just go out there and finish in the top two," Gayle said. "That was the main goal today so we'd have a chance to execute in finals on Friday."
Gayle also advanced to the final in the men's 400 meters with a semifinal time of 45.45, the seventh-fastest in school history.
In the only final on the track on Wednesday, junior Alfred Chelanga finished 11th in the 10,000 meters in 29:12.34, the 10th-fastest time in Alabama history, while senior Antibahs Kosgei finished 16th in 29:34.13 in his final race for the Crimson Tide.
In the field event finals, senior McLean Lipschutz finished 10th in the javelin with a mark of 227-8 (69.41m), the ninth-best mark in school history. Lipschutz had an earlier throw of 226-5 (69.03m), which ranks as the 10th-best all-time at UA. He ends his career with six of the top-10 throws in school history, five of which were recorded this season.
Sophomore Will Herrscher tied for 12th in the pole vault with a clearance of 17-4 ½ (5.30m). The mark ranks No. 5 all-time at Alabama. Herrscher ends the season having recorded seven of the top-10 pole vault marks in Crimson Tide history in 2017.
In other action on Wednesday, Tony Brown ran a personal-best 10.12 in the semifinals of the 100 meters. The time is Alabama's best of the season and ties for the eighth-fastest time in school history. Brown did not advance to the final as the semifinal was one of the fastest 100-meter races in NCAA history. The top-eight times came in at 10.03 or faster, led by Tennessee's Christian Coleman, who set an NCAA record with a time of 9.82 to lead all qualifiers.
The Alabama women open competition Thursday afternoon with junior Danielle McConnell in the hammer throw at 4 p.m. (CT). Senior Quanesha Burks will be in action in three events on Thursday, the final of the long jump and the semifinals of the 100 meters and 4x100-meter relay. Burks, the 2015 NCAA outdoor champion in the long jump, will be looking to improve on her runner-up finish at the 2016 championships.
Men's Event Summaries – NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships- Day 1
Final
10,000 Meters – Junior Alfred Chelanga finished 11th in the 10,000 meters in 29:12.34, the 10th-fastest time in Alabama history. Senior Antibahs Kosgei finished 16th in 29:34.13.
Pole Vault – Sophomore Will Herrscher tied for 12th in the pole vault with a clearance of 17-4 ½ (5.30m). The mark ranks No. 5 all-time at Alabama. Herrscher ends the season having recorded seven of the top-10 pole vault marks in Crimson Tide history in 2017.
Alabama Series
Herrscher – 16-10 ¾ (5.15m) (Pass); 17-4 ½ (5.30m) (xo); 17-10 ½ (5.45m) (xxx)
Javelin – Senior McLean Lipschutz finished 10th in the javelin with a mark of 227-8 (69.41m), the ninth-best mark in school history. Lipschutz had an earlier throw of 226-5 (69.03m) ranks as the 10th-best all-time at UA. He ends his career with six of the top-10 throws in school history, five of which were recorded this season.
Alabama Series
Lipschutz – 226-5 (69.03m); Foul; 227-8 (69.41m)
Semifinals
4x100-Meter Relay – Alabama's men's 4x100-meter relay team of senior Steven Gayle and juniors Jereem Richards, Terry Jernigan and Tony Brown finished 14th in the semifinals in 39.19. The time is the second-fastest for the Tide this season.
1,500 Meters – Senior Robbie Farnham-Rose finished 23rd in the semifinals of the men's 1,500 meters in 3:50.51
110-Meter Hurdles – Junior Ruebin Walters advances to Friday's final in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing first in his heat in a time of 13.43. Walters' time was the third-fastest in the semifinals.
100 Meters – Junior Tony Brown finished 11th in the semifinals of the 100 meters in a personal-best 10.12. The time is an Alabama season-best and ties for the eighth-fastest time in school history.
400 Meters – Senior Steven Gayle advanced to the final in the men's 400 meters, finishing second in his heat in a time of 45.45. The time is the seventh-fastest in school history.
200 Meters – Junior Jereem Richards won his semifinal heat in the 200 meters with a time of 20.04 to easily advance to Friday's final. The time is was the second-fastest in Wednesday's semifinals and the seventh-fastest in NCAA history. It also ranks as the fourth-best in Alabama history. Richards has now run three of the four fastest times in school history in his last three meets.
4x400-Meter Relay – The Alabama 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Will Allen, junior Jereem Richards, sophomore Skyler Bowden and senior Steven Gayle rolled to a time of 3:03.26 to easily advance to Friday's final. The time is the fourth-fastest in school history and the quartet has now run four of the seven fastest time ever at Alabama in their last four outings.
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Thursday, June 7, 2017
Eugene, Ore. (University of Oregon)
Alabama Results
Men
Finals
10,000 Meters- 11. Alfred Chelanga, 29:12.34; 16. Antibahs Kosgei, 29:34.13
Pole Vault- 12t. Will Herrscher, 17-4 ½ (5.30m)
Javelin- 10. McLean Lipschutz, 227-8 (69.41m)
Semifinals
100 Meters- 11. Tony Brown, 10.12 (PB)
200 Meters- 2. Jereem Richards, 20.04 (Q)
400 Meters- 8. Steven Gayle, 45.45 (Q)
1,500 Meters- 23. Robbie Farnham-Rose, 3:50.51
110-Meter Hurdles- 3. Ruebin Walters, 13.43w (Q)
4x100-Meter Relay: 14. Alabama (Steven Gayle, Jereem Richards, Terry Jernigan, Tony Brown), 39.19
4x400-Meter Relay: 2. Alabama (Will Allen, Jereem Richards, Skyler Bowden, Steven Gayle), 3:03.26 (Q)
Alabama Superlatives
School Top-10 Performances
Men
100 Meters- 9t. Tony Brown, 10.12
400 Meters- 7. Steven Gayle, 45.45
Pole Vault- 5. Will Herrscher, 17-4 ½ (5.30m)
200 Meters- 4. Jereem Richards, 20.04
Javelin- 9. McLean Lipschutz, 227-8 (69.41m)
Javelin- 10. McLean Lipschutz, 226-5 (69.03m)
10,000 Meters- 10. Alfred Chelanga, 29:12.34
4x400-Meter Relay- 4. Alabama (Will Allen, Jereem Richards, Skyler Bowden, Steven Gayle), 3:03.26
Personal Bests
Men
100 Meters- Tony Brown, 10.12
PB- Personal best
SB- Season best
SR- School record
NB- National best
NM- No mark
NH- No height
DNF- Did not finish
DNS- Did not start
Q- Qualified for final with heat finish
q- Qualified for final with heat time
w- Wind above allowable
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Players Mentioned
