Trio of men’s track, field athletes begins quest for national title

Ryan Young/Iowa State Daily

Redshirt junior Taylor Sanderson lands while competing in the pole vault at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames on May 16, 2015.

Luke Manderfeld

All of the season’s training will come down to one three-day event — one last performance of the season.

Three men’s track and field athletes will go to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., on Wednesday to don the ISU uniform and compete for national titles.

All eyes will be on seven-time Big 12 champion Edward Kemboi, who will compete in the 800-meter race on the national stage for the fourth time.

Six months ago, Kemboi took a victory in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships and added a win in the 1,000-meter race.

He continued his strong 2015 season with a win at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship in the 800, his sixth time winning the event. But he has never won a title at the outdoor meet, and his best finish was fifth place at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championship. 

He is ready to change that this week. 

“I’m ready to run fast,” Kemboi said on his Twitter profile.

Joining him once again will be shot putter Jan Jeuschede for the German’s third straight appearance in the meet. 

He is coming off the best throw in his career, 63 feet 4.25 inches, at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship. 

The junior’s toughest challenger will be Big 12 champion and Texas Longhorn Ryan Crouser, who is the defending champion in the event.

NCAA national first-timer Taylor Sanderson will be the rookie among the group of veterans. The redshirt senior grabbed a top-24 spot in the nation in the decathlon with his performance at the Mt. SAC Relays more than two months ago. 

He almost bested that mark at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship with a score of 7,401. 

Despite making his first appearance on the national stage, he has acquired a veteran mindset for the national meet.

“I had a lot of really good events, but I also had a lot of bad events [at Big 12s],” Sanderson said. “It’s just trying to focusing on when I’m a [100-meter race] runner, I’m a 100 runner. Then when you transition you change your shoes. … If you take one event at a time, then the scores come.”

Sanderson will make a run at the top-five, he hopes. During that run, he will attempt to take in the sights of the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., where many historic track and field runners have raced.

“When you think of track and field in the United States, you immediately think of Hayward Field,” Sanderson said. “I’m real excited to go and experience that and just live in the moment.” 

The NCAA Outdoor Championship will begin for the Cyclones at 11:30 a.m. June 10 with Sanderson in the 100-meter dash for the decathlon.