June 10, 2015
NCAA Outdoor Championships Event Central
Schedule of Events
Women’s Qualifier List
Men’s Qualifier List
Live Results
Broadcast Schedule
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — With the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships kicking off this afternoon at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, below are five things you need to know as the Fighting Irish get set to compete.
GOING THE DISTANCE — Junior Molly Seidel enters the finals of the 10,000 meters (running 9:38 p.m. EDT Thursday) with the nation’s top qualifying time of 33:38.38, almost nine seconds better than the next-fastest qualifier. Already a five-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in both cross country and indoor and outdoor track events this season, Seidel has also picked up two All-America citations between the cross country and indoor track seasons this year. Should she reach All-America status this weekend, she will be the first Irish distance runner to pick up a cross country All-America honor and two track honors since Molly Huddle (’07) in 2003.
HURDLING TOWARD HISTORY — Senior Jade Barber will be making her final appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, competing in the 100-meter hurdles after missing last season’s championships with an injury. A seven-time All-American after picking up second-team honors in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, Barber is poised to become the most decorated woman in program history should she snare her eighth All-America scroll. She is currently tied with both Molly Huddle and Michelle Brown (’14) for the most in Notre Dame women’s history. Barber enters the event with the fifth-best qualifying time out of the NCAA East Preliminary Championships.
DOUBLE DUTY — Junior Margaret Bamgbose and senior Chris Giesting will pull double-duty for their respective Irish teams, running in both the open 400 meters and as the anchor leg of the 4×400-meter relay. Bamgbose broke her own Irish record in the 400 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary (51.37), then ran a 50.06 split in her leg of the relay to send the Irish to Eugene. A six-time All-American, she comes in to the open 400 with the fifth-fastest qualifying time. Like Barber, Bamgbose also has the chance to become the all-time Irish leader in All-America titles.
Like Bamgbose, senior Chris Giesting will also compete in the men’s open 400 meters and the 4×400-meter relay. Giesting, a school record-holder in both events (in addition to four other indoor records), helped the Irish relay to a Notre Dame record-breaking performance to advance to the national semifinal, running an anchor split of 44.61. He enters the championships with the fifth-best qualifying time in the open 400 meters, as well (45.66). An eight-time All-American, Giesting can become the most decorated man in Irish history with two more citations, passing Patrick Feeney’s (’14) nine.
FIRST TIMERS — Seven Irish individuals will be making their first trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships: juniors Molly Seidel (women’s 10,000 meters) and Michael Clevenger (men’s 5,000 meters), sophomores Nathan Richartz (men’s pole vault) and Alex Groesch (men’s 4×400-meter relay), and freshmen Parker English (women’s 4×400-meter relay), Jordan Shead (women’s 4×400-meter relay) and Eric Ways (men’s 4×400-meter relay).
IRISH AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS — Last season the Notre Dame women finished in 32nd place in the team standings at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while the Irish men tied for 64th. In program history, the men have twice placed as high as second (1921, 1944), while the women had a high showing of 17th in 1998. The last Irish individual outdoor title went to Ryan Shay in the 10,000 meters in 2001, and an Irish woman has yet to capture an NCAA individual crown.Â
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Action at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will begin at 1 p.m. EDT on Wednesday with the heptathlon, while running events will commence at 7 p.m. EDT. In a change from past years, men’s and women’s events will take place on alternating days, with a few exceptions. Men’s events will take place on Wednesday and Friday, while women’s events will be held on Thursday and Saturday. The decathlon and heptathlon will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. The event will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
To keep up with all things Irish track & field, follow @NDXCTF on Twitter and like Notre Dame Cross Country/Track & Field on Facebook.
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Eugene, Oregon
Schedule of Events
All Times EDT
Wednesday — ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m.
7 p.m. — Men’s Pole Vault final
Nathan Richartz
8:30 p.m. –Â Men’s 400 meters semifinal
Chris Giesting
10:28 p.m. — Men’s 4×400-meter relay semifinal
Eric Ways, Harvey Smith, Alex Groesch, Chris Giesting
Thursday — ESPNU 7-8:30 p.m.; ESPN 8:30 p.m.
8:02 p.m. — Women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinal
Jade Barber
8:30 p.m. — Women’s 400 meters semifinal
Margaret Bamgbose
8:40 p.m. — Women’s Shot Put final
Emily Morris
9:38 p.m. — Women’s 10,000 meters final
Molly Seidel
10:18 p.m. — Women’s 4×400-meter relay semifinal
Parker English, Jordan Shead, Amber Lalla, Margaret Bamgbose
Friday — ESPN 7:30 p.m.
8:35 p.m. — Men’s 400 meters final
9:30 p.m. — Men’s 5,000 meters final
Michael Clevenger
9:50 p.m. — Men’s 4×400 meter relay final
Saturday — ESPN2 5 p.m.
5:45 p.m. — Women’s 100-meter hurdles final
6:05 p.m. — Women’s 400 meters final
7:20 p.m. — Women’s 4×400-meter relay final
Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant
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