June 6, 2013
EUGENE, Ore. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track & field teams advanced three student-athletes to the finals on day two of the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Junior Alexa Aragon safely earned her way into the finals of the 3,000m steeplechase after placing third in the prelims with a time of 9:56.21. Aragon improved her school record in the event, previously setting the standard at the 2013 NCAA East Preliminary meet (10:04.77). Aragon trailed second-place finisher Rachel Sorner (Cornell) by 1.63 seconds and held off fourth-place finisher Amber Henry (Weber State) by 2.61 seconds.
Aragon, the 2013 BIG EAST champion, additionally moved past BIG EAST foe Shelby Greany from Providence (10:02.49-seventh) in her pursuit toward the finish line. The junior has continuously bettered her time after she first captured the school record in the 3,000m steeplechase this past March at the Stanford Invitational (10:10.18), overtaking previous record holder Lindsey Ferguson (10:15.23). Ferguson (2007-10) held the top mark since the 2009 season.
Aragon is scheduled to compete in the 3,000m steeplechase finals Saturday at 2:57 p.m. (PST).
Senior Jeremy Rae qualified for the finals in the 1,500m, placing 11th with a time of 3:43.19. Rae was just under two seconds from Mac Fleet (Oregon), who won the event. Rae’s finish marks the second time he has advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championship finals in the 1,500m. Rae placed ninth in the event (3:45.53) during the finals at the 2011 NCAA’s.
Senior Rebecca Tracy placed 12th (4:17.70) in the 1,500m while junior Kelly Curran stopped the clock at 4:28.20 (22nd). Tracy grabbed the final qualifying spot in her heat, overtaking Princeton’s Greta Feldman. Feldman finished fifth in the 1,500m at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships earning All-America honors and eventually reaching the semifinals of the 2012 Olympic trials. It is the second straight year Tracy has advanced to the finals in the 1,500m at the national championship.
Tracy will compete in the finals of the 1,500m on Saturday at 2:19 p.m. (PST). Rae will follow in his 1,500m final race at 2:31 p.m. (PST).
Sophomore Jade Barber placed third in her heat and 11th overall (13.09). Barber was one one-hundredth of a second from nabbing the final qualifying spot in her heat over LSU’s Jasmin Stowers.
Sophomore Carly Loeffel sits in 13th place after four events in the heptathlon. The sophomore has accumulated 3,350 points, gathering in the most in the 100mH (903 points). Loeffel is just 335 points from the current leader, Makeba Alcide (Arkansas) and 177 points from fifth place.
Loeffel is slated to compete in the long jump Friday at 12:30 p.m. (PST), followed by the javelin and the 800m.
Barber, Michelle Brown, Margaret Bamgbose and Megan Yanik concluded their 2012-13 season with a 19th-place finish in the 4x400m, recording a time of 3:38.22. The foursome surpassed BIG EAST foe and 21st-place finisher, St. John’s (3:38.66).
Patrick Feeney, Jarrod Buchanon, Brendan Dougherty and Chris Giesting placed 23rd (3:10.14) in the 4x400m.
Follow flashresults.com for live scoring and UND.com for a full recap of each day’s occurrences of the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Results:
3,000m Steeplechase: Alexa Aragon (9:56.21-3rd) * ^
1,500m: Jeremy Rae (3:43.19-11th) *
100mH: Jade Barber (13.09-11th)
1,500m: Rebecca Tracy (4:17.70-12th) *
1,500m: Kelly Curran (4:28.20-22nd)
4x400m: Jade Barber, Michelle Brown, Megan Yanik, Margaret Bamgbose (3:38.22-19th)
4x400m: Patrick Feeney, Jarrod Buchanon, Brendan Dougherty, Chris Giesting (3:10.14-23rd)
Heptathlon: Carly Loeffel (3,350 points-13th) -Through four events
*– finals participate
^-school record
–ND–