AUSTIN, Texas --- Juniors Taryn Rawlings and Jeff Thies ran solid races Saturday evening to conclude the final day of the West Preliminaries, securing spots at the upcoming NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Rawlings competed first in the 1500m, finishing sixth in her heat in 4:19.39, which qualified for nationals as the sixth fastest time overall.
"Taryn ran super tough today," said women's head coach Ian Solof. "To be just three seconds off her PR in a 90-degree race is really impressive. I'm so proud of how hard she has worked this season to become a national level runner and she definitely deserves this trip to nationals."
Thies then raced in the fastest heat of the men's 1500m to finish fifth in his heat and fifth overall. His time of 3:48.70 allowed him to punch his ticket to Eugene for the NCAA's.
"Jeff ran another brilliant race, kept his head, and got the job done," said men's head coach Rob Conner. "He said he was a little flat because he is not used to running prelims, but in the end it wasn't that close and he took one of the automatic spots. Great racing!"
Pilots also competed in both the men's and women's 5000m, which included Rawlings, Anna Farello, Alex Dillard, Caleb Webb, and Brady Johnson.
"Brady, Dillard, and Caleb all gave it their best," added Conner. "As seniors, Brady and Dillard wanted to maximize the experience by running both the 10,000 and 5000. That is a tall order but it shows how much each guy loves to race. I am certainly proud of their effort, dedication, and determination. They have left a very positive mark on the program.
"Caleb had a tremendous season," Conner continued. "It was a great learning experience for him to get to run this as a freshman. He will know what to expect in the future!"
Grace McConnochie and Noah Schutte will join Rawlings and Thies at the NCAA Championships June 7-10 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
West Preliminaries
Day 3
May 27, 2017
Results
Women's 1500m
6. Taryn Rawlings (4:19.39)
Men's 1500m
5. Jeff Thies (3:48.70)
Women's 5,000m
35. Taryn Rawlings (17:23.70)
50. Anna Farello (17:40.36)
Men's 5000m
24. Alex Dillard (14:45.78)
30. Caleb Webb (14:52.30)
35. Brady Johnson (14:56.96)
