Eight Cyclones advance to NCAA Championships
Redshirt senior Betsy Saina takes first place in 5,000-meter at the Iowa State Classic at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center on Feb. 9. Saina shattered the previous record of 15:29 with a time of 15:21.66, finishing almost four seconds in front of the second-place runner.
May 26, 2013
Of the 24 Cyclones that traveled to Austin, Texas, to compete in the NCAA West Regional, eight will make the trek to Eugene, Ore., to compete in the NCAA Championships.
Four Cyclones set the bar high on the first day of the event, Thursday, May 23.
Senior Betsy Saina won the 10,000-meter event with a time of 34:52.34, while her teammates Meaghan Nelson and Dani Stack crossed the finish line for ninth and 12th place, solidifying both their spots at the NCAA Championships.
Senior Mohamed Hrezi rounded out the day for the Cyclones, becoming the fourth runner to qualify for the NCAA Championships following his 10th place finish in the men’s 10K.
Friday proved to be just as fruitful for the Cyclones as both Okoro sisters, as well as Jans Jeuschede advanced to Eugene. Ese Okoro clocked a time of 57:54 in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh, while her sister, Ejiro, finished 12th in the 800-meter run.
Jans Jeuschede’s throw of 59-11 1/4 in the shot put landed him in the qualifying range, as he finished 11th.
On Saturday, Saina punched her second ticket to Eugene, as she finished with the fifth best time in the 5,000-meter run. Sophomore Christina Hillman finished the weekend on a high note for the Cyclones, qualifying the in shot put with a throw of 51-11.
The NCAA Championships take place June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.
