May 27, 2015
NCAA Division I Outdoor Championship Central
Start Lists/Declarations/Results
East Preliminary Live Results
East Preliminary Schedule of Events
East Preliminary Women’s Qualifying List (TFRRS.com)
East Preliminary Men’s Qualifying List (TFRRS.com)
East Preliminary Women’s Start List
East Preliminary Men’s Start List
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Nineteen University of Notre Dame track & field student-athletes will represent the Fighting Irish and work to extend their seasons this weekend at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
Ten Irish women and nine Irish men will look to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Pacing the 16th-ranked Irish women will be Margaret Bamgbose, who will compete in the 400 meters, the 4×100-meter relay and the 4×400-meter relay. The junior standout is coming off four All-Atlantic Coast Conference performances at the the ACC Outdoor Championships earlier this month and will look to add to her six All-America citations. According to TFRRS.com (May 27, 2015) Bamgbose ranks second in the region in the 400 (51.42), while the Irish 4×400 squad, which also includes Parker English, Amber Lalla and Jordan Shead, ranks fourth (3:31.17). Lalla will also compete in the open 400 meters (53.43), while English will compete in the 200 meters (23.71).
Also doubling up on events will be Jade Barber, who owns the third-best 100-meter hurdles time in the region (12.81) and will also run the second leg of the 4×100-meter relay. Joining her in that relay will be Kaila Barber, English and Bamgbose.
Sprint and hurdles events will follow a three-round format, with the top three heat times plus the next six best times advancing to the quarterfinals. The top three from each quarterfinal heat, plus the next three best times will advance to the NCAA Championships finals in Eugene. Relay events will run once at the preliminaries, with the top three from each heat, plus the next three best times advancing to the national championships.
Junior Danielle Aragon will compete for the Irish in the 1,500 meters, in which she owns the East’s seventh-best time. Aragon broke the Notre Dame record in the event earlier this season (4:13.43) at the Virginia Challenge. The top five from each heat, plus the next four will reach the quarterfinal, and the top five from each quarterfinal plus the next two best times will advance to Eugene.
Classmate and fellow distance specialist Molly Seidel will run in the 10,000 meters, qualifying with the ninth-best time in the region (33:39.70). Seidel placed second in the event at the ACC Outdoor Championships before going on to claim the title in the 5,000 meters. The Hartland, Wisconsin, native has amassed both a cross country and indoor track & field citation this season and will look to complete the season trifecta at the outdoor championships. The top 12 finishers will move on to Eugene.
In the field, senior Mary Esther Gourdin will compete in the triple jump. Her best jump of the season came at the ACC Outdoor Championships (12.69 meters), good for 34th in the region, and just 0.01 meters off her school record 12.70 meters set as a junior. Senior Emily Morris will also take part in the shot put (15.40 meters). Last season, Morris set the school mark of 16.53 meters at the East Regional, finishing seventh and moving on to the national championships. The top 12 finishers in both triple jump and shot put will advance to Eugene.
Nine men will suit up for the Irish in Jacksonville, with senior Chris Giesting leading the charge as a participant in both the 400 meters and 4×400-meter relay. Giesting own’s the region’s ninth-best time in the 400 meters (45.82) after finishing second at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the event. He will join Eric Ways, Alex Groesch and Harvey Smith in the relay.
Junior Michael Clevenger and senior Jake Kildoo will be the distance representatives for the Irish. Clevenger will race in the 5,000 meters, with the top five from each heat plus the next two best times advancing to the national meet. Clevenger sits at 14th in the East in the event (13:56.24), with his best time coming at the Stanford Invitational. Kildoo rates 16th in the 10,000 meters (29:18.30) and will look to make his way into the top 12 to advance to the final.
Sophomore Nate Richartz (pole vault), senior Dominick Padovano (discus) and freshman Greg Bombara (javelin) will compete in field events for the Irish. Richartz is tied for 37th on the region list in the vault with a top jump of 5.10 meters at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge; Padovano is 33rd in the discus with a best of 54.50 meters in finishing fifth at the ACC Outdoor Championships; Bombara’s toss of 64.65 meters at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge ranks third in school history. The top 12 in each event will advance.
Action will kick off at noon EDT Thursday with the men’s hammer throw, with the first round of running events beginning at 4:30 p.m. EDT. To keep up with all things Irish track & field, follow @NDXCTF on Twitter and like Notre Dame Cross Country/Track & Field on Facebook.
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships
East Preliminary
Notre Dame Entries
Women
200 meters
Parker English
400 meters
Margaret Bamgbose
Amber Lalla
1,500 meters
Danielle Aragon
10,000 meters
Molly Seidel
100-meter hurdles
Jade Barber
4×100-meter relay
Kaila Barber, Jade Barber, Parker English, Margaret Bamgbose
4×400-meter relay
Parker English, Amber Lalla, Jordan Shead, Margaret Bamgbose
Triple Jump
Mary Esther Gourdin
Shot Put
Emily Morris
Men
400 meters
Chris Giesting
5,000 meters
Michael Clevenger
10,000 meters
Jake Kildoo
4×400-meter relay
Chris Giesting, Harvey Smith, Alex Groesch, Eric Ways
Pole Vault
Nate Richartz
Discus
Dominick Padovano
Javelin
Greg Bombara
Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant
–ND–