SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Day one of the NCAA West Preliminary yielded the Razorbacks’ first NCAA qualifier in Harrison Schrage as well as multiple athletes advancing to the quarterfinal in their respective events Thursday afternoon at Hornet Stadium.
“Today was a good start to the meet,” said coach Chris Bucknam. “We wrapped up day one, but we have to continue to keep the foot on the accelerator and try to have another good day tomorrow.
“We got the ball rolling, we advanced the athletes that we expected to, and I was very pleased to see Harrison [Schrage] qualify for the NCAA meet in the long jump with a lifetime best.”
An NCAA finalist in the 400-meter hurdles in 2017, Kemar Mowatt passed another test on his quest to return to the national final as he advanced to the quarterfinal in the event securing an auto-Q spot with his 51.09.
Teammate Larry Donald will join Mowatt in the quarterfinal following his heat winning and lifetime-best time of 50.85 in the opening heat of the event.
Consummate All-American Kenzo Cotton advanced to the quarterfinal of the 100-meters running a brisk 10.21Q in the prelim winning his heat to grab an auto-Q spot.
Obi Igbokwe followed suit as he sprinted his way to an auto-Q spot in the 400-meters turning in the top performance in the event in prelims with his time of 45.49Q.
Igbokwe battled Iowa’s Mar’yea Harris down the final 100-meters before out leaning him at the line to win the heat and advance to the quarterfinal.
It took a lifetime-best performance in the men’s long jump by Harrison Schrage to secure a return trip to his home state of Oregon for the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
Schrage opened the competition with a pop off the board that would prove to be his best of the day, measuring in at 7.73m (25?-4.50?).
For the day, Arkansas advanced four athletes through to the quarterfinal of their respective events and punched one ticket to the NCAA meet in Eugene in two weeks at Historic Hayward Field.
NCAA West Preliminary
Thursday Results
Men’s 100-Meters
7. Kenzo Cotton – 10.21Q
Men’s 400-Meters
1. Obi Igbokwe – 45.49Q
33. Jamarco Stephen – 47.44
Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles
9. Larry Donald – 50.85Q
17. Kemar Mowatt – 51.09Q
32. Travius Chambers – 52.10
Men’s 1,500-Meters
36. Ethan Moehn – 4:00.01
39. Cameron Griffith – 4:01.78Q
Men’s 10,000-Meters
15. Gilbert Boit – 29:26.09
16. Austen Dalquist – 29:27.50
22. Matt Young – 29:37.55
32. Ryan Murphy – 30:07.20
Men’s Hammer Throw
26. Erich Sullins – 60.98m (200?-1?)
Men’s Long Jump
7. Harrison Schrage – 7.73m (25?-4.50?) – Qualified for NCAA’s
30. Laquan Narin – 7.23m (23?-8.75?)
44. Rubin Owens – 6.84m (22?-5.25?)
