Seven University of Wyoming track and field student-athletes have qualified to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary on May 26-28 in Lawrence, Kansas, the governing body announced Thursday. Three of the Cowboys and Cowgirls will be making their third appearance at the meet.
To reach the NCAA’s East or West Preliminary, an athlete must be ranked in the region’s top 48 of his/her event. From there, the top 12 finishers in each event at the two regional meets will receive an invitation to the NCAA Championships on June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
Junior Jordan Charles is the top Cowboy qualifier, sitting 17th in the West in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.86. He also will compete in the 400-meter hurdles, after running 51.49 for 22nd. Senior Tyler Anderson and sophomore Garrett Lynch are the two Cowboy throwers to qualify. Anderson ranks 27th in the hammer with a mark of 202-9 and Lynch is 47th in the discus at 174-7. Freshman Bryce Ailshie just got in as well with a time of 1:50.06 for 46th in the 800 meters. Charles and Anderson will be making their third appearance at the regional meet, while Lynch and Ailshie will compete for the first time.
The top-ranked Cowgirl is junior Audra DeStefano at 13th in the steeplechase. Her time of 10:07.35 broke her own school record in the event. Senior Sabina Sandberg cleared 5-9 1/4 in the high jump to qualify 23rd, while fellow senior McKenzie Brogan is 39th in the 400-meter hurdles at 59.34. DeStefano is running in her third regional meet, while Sandberg and Brogan make their first appearance.
Three Wyoming student-athletes has advanced past the preliminary round in the six years of the current qualifying system. That includes Harry Fisher in the 800 meters in 2015 and Mason Finley in the discus in 2014. Jeremiah James advanced in the triple jump in 2010.