June 4, 2013
Broadcast Information
June 6 at 6:50 p.m. ET: ESPN3
June 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET: ESPNU
June 8 at 5 p.m. ET: ESPNU
Championship Central (USTFCCCA)
Female Qualifying List (Top-24)
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field teams will be represented by a total of 14 student-athletes at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., this week and weekend (June 5-8).
Nine female and five male student-athletes qualified for the championship meet. The nine national qualifiers on the women’s squad, led by 2012 outdoor All-American Rebecca Tracy (1,500m), is the most either team has ever sent to represent Notre Dame.
The University of Oregon’s Hayward Field will serve as the host venue for the four-day contest. First opened in 1919, Hayward Field has witnessed some of the top performances in the country, including recently the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Since 1921, the outdoor national championship has seen a male student-athlete with an Irish uniform compete 129 times while the women’s team has had a representative on 68 occasions since its first year at the event in 1994.
The group of 14 ties last year’s mark for the largest collection of Fighting Irish competitors in a single national championship during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Nine of the 14 were named as 2013 indoor All-Americans. The 2013 outdoor season is the 19th straight year in which at least one Notre Dame male has qualified for the NCAA national outdoor meet and the 20th straight year the women’s team has sent at least one representative.
Michelle Brown, Kelly Curran, Rebecca Tracy, Margaret Bamgbose, Megan Yanik, Alexa Aragon, Patrick Feeney and Chris Giesting and Jade Barber each were crowded a 2013 indoor All-American and look to carry on their success to the outdoor season.
Barber swept the field during the indoor and outdoor seasons, earning the Great Lakes Region’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Year award. According to The International Association of Athletics Federations her 13.00 mark set at the NCAA East Preliminary Round stands as the 17th best time in the world this season.
Yanik searches to be the first Irish performer to be named an All-American in the 400mH since Erica Peterson 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 to become the first 400m (outdoor) all-American since Liz Grow (2002). A. Aragon will try for an All-America 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.
The junior and teammates Chris Giesting and Brendan Dougherty make their return in the 4x400m and will be joined by Jarrod Buchanon this season. The returning trio took 23rd last year with a time of 3:13.35.
Jade Barber,>Michelle Brown and Megan Yanik also return to the scene in the 4x400m, finishing 19th last season (3:37.97). Bamgbose will join the group.
Rounding out the Irish competitors is heptathlete Carly Loeffel, who qualified automatically for the NCAAs without having to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Round. Loeffel is the first heptathlete to go to the outdoor NCAAs from Notre Dame since Maddie Buttinger went in 2010 and 2011.
Last year Tracy placed 12th in the 1,500m (4:21.92) at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championship.
Irish participants secured their entry into the national championship after taking one of the top-12 spots in their event at the preliminary meet. The regional sites (East and West) are split up into two qualifying sections.
Follow UND.com for full result postings each day.
NCAA National Championship Qualifiers:
4x400m (8th) 3:07.66 Dougherty, Feeney, Buchanon, Giesting
4x400m (1st) 3:32.43 J. Barber, Brown, Yanik, Bamgbose
(SO) Amber Lalla (4x400m-alternate)
(SO) Jade Barber (3rd) 100mH: 13.00
(SR) Jeremy Rae (1st) 1,500m: 3:39.92
(JR) Kelly Curran (3rd) 1,500m: 4:16.09
(SR) Rebecca Tracy (10th) 1,500m: 4:18.01
(JR)>Michelle Brown (6th) 400m: 52.55
(FR) Margaret Bamgbose (12th) 400m: 53.00
(JR) Patrick Feeney (14th) 400m: 46.93
(JR) Megan Yanik (10th) 400mH: 58.66
(JR) Alexa Aragon (5th) 3,000m Steeplechase: 10:04.77
(SO) Carly Loeffel Heptathlon
(JR) Jarrod Buchanon (4x400m)
(SR) Brendan Dougherty (4x400m)
*Qualifying multi-event athletes achieved automatic bid to NCAA Championships.
–ND–