May 25, 2013
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field teams concluded the third and final day of the NCAA East Preliminary meet at North Carolina A&T with nine Fighting Irish securing their spot into the 2013 NCAA Championship. Throughout the three-day contest, a total of 14 Notre Dame student-athletes punched their tickets to the national meet.
On the final day, Notre Dame racked up four top-three finishes and six top-10 finishes.
Jeremy Rae won the 1,500m with a winning time of 3:39.92. Rae surpassed Indiana’s Andrew Bayer (second-3:40.93), outlasting the 22 competitors in the field.
The finish is a collegiate best for Rae, overtaking his top time of 3:40.93 set at the Mt. SAC Relays during the 2012 season. The senior’s time also neared the current school record holder Chuck Aragon’s time of 3:38.40, set back in 1981. Rae is a two-time outdoor all-American (2011,2012 – DMR) and ran a leg of the 2012 distance medley relay team who were crowned national champions.
The 4x400m team consisting of J. Barber, Brown, Bamgbose and Yanik won the event with a winning time of 3:32.43. It was the fastest time set by the foursome this season and closed in on the school record (3:32.12) set in 2002.
Jade Barber additionally achieved a collegiate best in the 100mH (third-13.00) and bettered her school record in the event after improving her time in the last two meets.
According to The International Association of Athletics Federations, the sophomore’s time currently stands as the 14th best time in the world.
Barber finished with a time of 13.04 in last night’s preliminary heat and captured the school record (13.08) on May 5 at the BIG EAST Championship. Barber, a 2012 indoor all-American, will look to repeat as such in both seasons.
Brown, Kelly Curran, Rebecca Tracy, Bamgbose, Yanik, Alexa Aragon, Patrick Feeney, and Chris Giesting joined Barber as a 2012 indoor all-American and look to carry on their success to the outdoor season.
Yanik will look to be the first Irish to be named an all-American in the 400mH since Erica Perterson accomplished the feat in 1994 while J. Barber attempts to become the program’s first 100mH (outdoor) all-American on the women’s side.
Additionally, Brown and Bamgbose search for the first 400m (outdoor) all-American since Liz Grow (2002). Aragon will try for an all-American status in the 3,000m steeplechase (outdoor). Molly Huddle was the last all-American in the 3,000m, finishing seventh in 2004.
Feeney looks to become the first all-American (outdoor) in 400m on the men’s side since Bill Boyle in 1964.
Nine female and five male progressed to the championship meet. The nine national qualifiers on women’s squad, led by outdoor all-American Rebecca Tracy (1,500m), is the most either team have ever sent in representation for Notre Dame.
Last season Notre Dame qualified 14 members of the track and field team, a total of seven from each squad. The 14 student-athletes that qualified this year and during the 2012 is the largest group Notre Dame has taken to the National Championship in the history of the program, collectively.
The 2013 NCAA D-I Outdoor Track & Field National Championship will take place on June 5-8 at the University of Oregon (Eugene, Ore.).
Follow UND.com for further updates and complete coverage of the NCAA National Championship meet.
NCAA National Championship Qualifiers:
4x400m (8th) 3:07.66 Dougherty, Feeney, Buchanon, Giesting – Day Three
4x400m (1st) 3:32.43 J. Barber, Brown, Yanik, Bamgbose – Day Three
Amber Lalla (4x400m-alternate)
Jade Barber (3rd) 100mH: 13.00 – Day Three
Jeremy Rae (1st) 1,500m: 3:39.92 – Day Three
Kelly Curran (3rd) 1,500m: 4:16.09 – Day Three
Rebecca Tracy (10th) 1,500m: 4:18.01 – Day Three
Michelle Brown (6th) 400m: 52.55 – Day Two
Margaret Bamgbose (12th) 400m: 53.00 -Day Two
Patrick Feeney (14th) 400m: 46.93 – Day Two
Megan Yanik (10th) 400mH: 58.66 – Day Two
Alexa Aragon (5th) 3,000m Steeplechase: 10:04.77 – Day Two
Carly Loeffel Heptathlon
*Qualifying multi-event athletes achieved automatic bid to NCAA Championships.
School Record:
Jade Barber 100mH: 13.00 -Day Three
Alexa Aragon 3,000m Steeplechase: 10:04.77 – Day Two
Complete Results (Day Three):
Women:
4x100m: Jade Barber, Margaret Bamgbose, Michelle Brown and Aijah Urssery finished 18th, stopping the clock at 45.24.
4×400: J. Barber, Brown, Yanik, Bamgbose advance to the NCAA Championship with a time of 3:32.43.
100mH: Jade Barber achieved a collegiate person best in the 100mH (third-13.00) and bettered her school record in the event after improving her time in the last two meets. Barber set a time of 13.04 in last night’s preliminary heat and captured the school record (13.08) on May 5 at the BIG EAST Championship. Nevada Sorenson placed 13th, crossing the line at 13.32.
1,500m: Kelly Curran (3rd-4:16.09) and Rebecca Tracy (10th-4:18.02) each advance to the NCAA Championships. Curran acquired a new collegiate best in the event with her finish. Curran attained her previous best at the Stanford Invitational in March (4:21.57). Curran’s time additional stands as the fastest mark this outdoor season registered by an Irish in the event.
Shot Put: Emily Morris placed 20th in the field of 46, planting a distance of 15.24m.
Men:
1,500m: Jeremy Rae won the 1,500m with a winning time of 3:39.92. Rae surpassed Indiana’s Andrew Bayer (second-3:40.93) in the field of 23 to take the top spot. The finish is a collegiate best for Rae, overtaking his top time of 3:40.93 set at the Mt. SAC Relays during the 2012 season. The senior’s time also neared current record holder Chuck Aragon’s time of 3:38.40, set back in 1981.
5,000m: J.P. Malette placed 27th, registering a time of 14:27.09.
4x400m: Brendan Dougherty, Feeney, Jarrod Buchanon and Chris Giesting advance to the NCAA Championship with a time of 3:07.66 (8th).
Triple Jump: Logan Renwick leap a distance of 13.42m (45th).
–ND–