Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Seven Tigers Contend for National Titles at NCAA Track & Field Championships
June 08, 2010 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Men's Start List
Women's Start List
Championships Site
Live Results
Live Streaming
PRINCETON, N.J. (6/8/10) - Seven members of the Princeton track & field teams will compete at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., from June 9-12. The meet will take place on Haywood Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
This is the largest number of student-athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Princeton history, surpassing the six that competed in the NCAAs in 1996.
Sophomore Trevor Van Ackeren will run in the semifinals of the men's 1500 on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. The top five per heat plus the next two fastest times will compete in the final on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Last year's winner, a freshman, German Fernandez of Oklahoma State ran a 3:39.00. Only Lee Emanuel of New Mexico returns from the top eight from 2009 and has the third best time in the country at 3:38.79, behind Oregon's Andrew Wheating at 3:37.52 and Wisconsin's Jack Bolas. Van Ackeren enters the race with a personal best of 3:45.29 in the 1500, while he posted a time of 3:51.91 at Regionals as he automatically qualified by finishing in the top five in his heat.
Sophomore Donn Cabral and junior Kyle Soloff will run in the 5000 on Saturday at 11:21 a.m. Last year Oregon's Galen Rupp won the race at 14:04.12. It should be a tight race as half of last year's top eight return to take the national title, including: David McNeill of Northern Arizona, Chris Derrick of Stanford, Bradon Bethke of Arizona State, Elliott Heath of Stanford. The group owns the top four times in the nation. Another familiar face in the race will be Michael Maag, a 2009 Princeton alum who is using his final year of outdoor track eligibility at Oregon. Cabral ran a season best 13:58.24 and posted a mark of 14:13.68 at the Regional. Soloff has a best of 14:04.55 and won his 24-man heat at Regionals with a time of 14:11.02.
Cabral will also compete in the semifinals of the steeplechase on Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. The top five from each heat and the two next fastest times will advance to the final on Friday at 6 p.m. Cabral has the second best time in the nation in the steeplechase at 8:35.60, reaching the mark at Regionals, which also qualified him for the USA Track & Field Championships. Louisville's Matt Hughes is the only other runner in the nation to have a faster time, at 8:34.87. BYU's Kyle Perry won the race last year at 8:29.24. Second-place finisher Hillary Bor of Iowa State returns this season with the third best time in the nation behind Hughes and Cabral, while Lamar's Joonas Harjamaki joins the list as the only four to finish in under 8:40.
Senior high jumper Justin Frick is a multi-time national qualifier who has earned All-America status during the 2009 indoor season when he tied for ninth place with a height of 2.09 meters (6-10.25). The high jump is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., on Friday. Kansas State's Scott Sellers won last year reaching 2.26 (7-5) repeating his championship from the indoor season. Freshman Ricky Robertson of Mississippi enters with the nation's top mark 2.28 (7-5.75), while last year's lone returner from the top eight Manjula Wijesekara of USC has cleared 2.20 (7-2.5) this year. Frick has also cleared 2.20 (7-2.25) during his collegiate career, while his season best stands at 2.18 (7-1.75). He was one of seven that reached the top clearance at Regionals, at 2.16 meters (7-1).
Sophomore Alex Banfich will run the 5000 on Friday at 6:40 p.m. Last year's winner Angela Bizzarri of Illinois seeks to maintain her title. She won at 16:17.94 last year and has the second-best time in the country at 15:37.21, behind Iowa State's Lisa Koll at 15:17.76. Also returning from last year's top eight are Oregon's Nicole Blood and Villanova's Amanda Marino. Banfich has the third best time from Regionals at 16:16.14 but boasts a season best and Princeton record of 16:00.40 during the season to rank 13th.
Ashley Higginson will compete in the semifinals of the steeplechase on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. The top from each heat plus the two fastest times will make up the final 12 that will run the final on Saturday at 10:54 a.m. Penn State's Bridget Franek who placed fourth in the finals last season enters with the best time in the nation at 9:48.28. Indiana's Sarah Peace who placed seventh last year will also be making another run at the title. Higginson has the third best time in the nation at 9:57.50, a Princeton record, just behind Colorado's Emma Coburn at 9:56.29. Those four athletes are the only runners to finish the steeplechase in under 10 minutes this season.
Junior Sarah Cummings will run in her second straight outdoor 10,000 on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. She finished 12th last year to earn All-America honors with a time of 34:39.77. Providence's Danette Doetzel ran a 33:25.71 last year to win the event, however, only West Virginia's Clara Grandt and Oregon's Mattie Bridgmon return from last year's top eight. Iowa State's Lisa Koll enters the race with the best time at 31:18.07, an NCAA record. Cummings' best time this year is 33:55.91 while running a 35:25.97 at Regionals. Her personal best stands at 32:27.23.