Four Tigers Compete on a Heartbreaking Day 1 of NCAA East Regionals

Results

A matter of inches – or less. Four Tigers competed today on Day 1 of the NCAA East Regional but it was a heartbreaking finish for three Tigers including senior four-time All-America Adam Kelly.

Kelly finished 13th in the hammer throw just missing the final 12 that advanced to the NCAA Championships by 10 inches.

His first throw of 66.12 (216-11) put him into ninth place, but after the second round was in 11th place. He hit 64.58 (211-10) on his final throw but was nudged out of the top 12 by the very next thrower in the flight who had a 66.38 (216-11).

Kelly has had a tremendous career at Princeton. Earlier today he was named a finalist for the Roper Trophy, given to Princeton's top senior male athlete. He was the NCAA runner-up in the weight throw this winter and was a two-time all-America in the event. The Princeton record holder in the weight throw, Kelly was twice the Ivy League champion and twice the runner-up. Outdoors he qualified every spring for the NCAA Regionals in the hammer throw and earned two All-America honors. The Ivy Heps Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet after winning the hammer for the second consecutive year, Kelly accrued 72 points during his four years as a Tiger at Ivy Heps.

Junior Jesse Thibodeau found himself in a similar spot as he finished 14^th in the long jump, just two spots out of qualifying for his first NCAA Championship. After a flag on his first attempt he reached 7.38 (24-2.5) on his second attempt and improved with a 7.49 (24-7) on his third attempt. After the completion of the event it was just a matter of ¾ of a inch that separated Thibodeau from advancing.

The Ivy Heps champion qualified for the Regional with a 7.87 (25-10) – the third longest jump on Princeton's top-10 list.

Sam Ellis ran the 15th fastest time in the 1500 but is not one of the 24 that is advancing to the quarterfinal – as he was the first out. Ellis finished eighth in one of the two fastest heats of the day, heat 4 at 3:48.23 (45.59, 1:02.06, 1:01.78, 58.82). Heat 2 was roughly six seconds slower, heat 3 about nine. In the end 10 runners with slower times advanced ahead of Ellis who will look to get redemption next year in his junior season.

In the final event of day 1, junior Viraj Deokar took on the 10k. He finished with a time of 31:09.43 to finish 36th overall.

Friday's competitors include freshman Christian Brown in heat 4 and senior Joey Daniels in heat 5 of the 110-meter hurdles at 5 p.m. Sophomore Ed Trippas will run in the second heat of the steeplechase beginning at 9 p.m. Freshman Chandler Ault gets the day started with flight 2 of the javelin at noon, while sophomore Robbie Otal throws in flight 3 of the discus at 4p.m.

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